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MNI SOURCES: Italy Aims To Benefit From Backing Eurogroup Head

MNI (London)
--FM Padoan Withdrawal, Centeno Support, Could Earn Italy Political Credit Ahead
--Italy To Aim For Less Stringent NPL Rules, Banking Union Progress 
By Silvia Marchetti
     ROME (MNI) - Italy's government hopes to have bought some political capital
to help deal with upcoming Brussels battles following its support for the new
Eurogroup President, officials told Market News.
     Sources close to the government stressed that the nomination  -- and
subsequent election -- of Portugal's Mario Centeno was made possible only after
Italy's economy minister, Piercarlo Padoan, dropped out of the race. 
     Padoan's name had circulated as one of the leading contenders for the
high-profile role, but, due to the looming end of his domestic mandate, he
decided not to pursue election. 
     Now, Rome hopes to somehow cash in on his stepping back. 
     "It is crucial to take into account that consensus for Padoan was so wide
across the union and that Italy's government was forced to renounce to his
nomination due to the election timing. This gives us a political credit and
increases Italy's influence on the European stage," said Democrat deputy
Giampaolo Galli, member of the Lower House budget committee. 
     In future, Rome might look for pay back over its support to Centeno. "Our
move makes us stronger, gives us a sort of bonus to pursue our interests on
various thorny issues,", said Galli. 
     --BANK UNION PROGRESS
     Banking Union progress could be one such area where Italy may find
increased support for its stances. "There is a higher possibility of moving
against the European Central Bank's introduction of more binding rules on the
stock of non-performing loans sitting on banks balance sheets," said Galli.
     Galli noted Rome has long opposed higher capital buffer requirements for
bad loans, arguing it would stifle credit flows to the real economy, noting the
concern that the ECB would want lenders to reduce the stock of NPLs "overnight".
     Against this, Berlin has been pushing for stronger banks across the union
as a prerequisite for the completion of the banking union, the common deposit
guarantee scheme that increases financial burden and risk sharing among member
states. These opposing positions have led to a stalemate in moving the Banking
Union forward. 
     Galli said another field Italy may pursue would be to "avoiding placing a
way too restrictive limit on the amount of government bonds held by banks and
putting an end to the zero-risk era of sovereign securities", again both
required by Berlin to further banking union talks. 
     Italian banks have large stocks of sovereign bonds in their portfolios,
among the highest levels in the eurozone. 
     However, Galli argued that the political bonus could not be used to push
for greater fiscal flexibility from Brussels. 
     --GROWTH AGENDA
     A government source noted that supporting Centeno to the helm of the
Eurogroup had strengthened the European Socialists' power and further pursuing a
more growth-focused EU agenda.
     "We're happy that a pro-growth, progressive and socialist leader like
Centeno heads the Eurogroup, plus one coming from a southern Mediterranean
country politically close to Italy," said the official. Italian premier Paolo
Gentiloni had been lobbying lately to shift European power politics in favour of
the European Socialists (PES) to counterbalance the excessive role of the
European People's Party (EPP).
     The European Parliament, Commission and Council are all led by EPP leaders:
Antonio Tajani, Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk. Hawkish, pro-austerity EC
Vice President Jyrki Kaitanen is also from the EPP. 
     Democrat deputy Lia Quartapelle, head of Italy's Lower House Foreign
Affairs committee, noted that lobbying for Portugal was a natural option "given
it has one of the last remaining centre-left governments left in Europe, leaving
aside the French one of Emmanuel Macron which is weakening". 
     "For sure, the last we wanted was a populist at the helm of the Eurogroup,"
she said. 
--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com
[TOPICS: MFIBU$,M$E$$$,M$I$$$,M$X$$$,MI$$$$,MX$$$$,MFX$$$,MGX$$$]
MNI London Bureau | +44 203-865-3812 | les.commons@marketnews.com

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