ROME (Reuters) – Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio on Thursday dismissed newspaper reports that he was seeking to replace Economy Minister Giovanni Tria.
Tria, a 70-year-old academic who is not a member of either of the ruling parties – the right-wing League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement – has often struggled to get along with his political backers.
In an interview with broadcaster Canale5 Di Maio, who is leader of the 5-Star Movement, reiterated that the government will not pass any additional deficit cutting measures or a wealth tax in order to counter the effect of an economic slowdown on public accounts.
(Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by Agnieszka Flak)