BERLIN (MNI) – Italian Finance Minister Vittorio Grilli on Friday
rejected the claim of Germany that a joint European banking union cannot
be achieved in the short-run.
“If need be this can be done in a relatively short time,” Grilli
said at a press conference at an event organized by the Aspen institute
in Berlin. Grilli met earlier today with German Finance Minister
Wolfgang Schaeuble, who also attended the Aspen conference.
Grilli said Italy had an “open position” on Germany’s and France’s
call for the introduction of a financial transaction tax in Europe. The
topic will again be discussed at the next Ecofin, he said.
Asked if Greece should get more time to meet its reform
commitments, Grilli said he would not comment before the report of the
so-called Troika of the EU Commission, European Central Bank and
International Monetary Fund is finalised. “I hope that it will be
released by October 8,” he said.
–Berlin bureau: +49-30-22 62 05 80; email: twidder@mni-news.com
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