Italy's PD says new government needs to try to change EU fiscal rules

ROME (Reuters) - A new Italian government should try to obtain changes to the European Union's budget rules in order to head off a risk of Europe-wide recession, the Lower House leader of the Democratic Party (PD) said on Monday.

"We have always obtained flexibility (in application of the rules), but now we have to modify the rules for everyone," Graziano Delrio told reporters as he entered a meeting in Rome of the centre-left party.

Delrio was speaking as the PD negotiates with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement over the formation of a coalition and a government programme.

(Reporting by Angelo Amante, writing by Gavin Jones, editing by Giselda Vagnoni)