Berlusconi, coalition ally disagree over Italy leaving euro

Silvio Berlusconi said on Tuesday that Italy must not leave the euro but his main coalition partner immediately disagreed. The statements underline policy differences in the center-right bloc which is expected to take most seats in an election in March. Berlusconi said in an interview that leaving the single currency would hurt Italy’s economy and added that his main ally, the Euroskeptic Northern League, now shared his view. However, the League’s economics spokesman, Claudio Borghi, said that if the center-right won the March 4 election it would immediately prepare for Italy to exit the euro, which many Italians blame for years of economic underperformance, Reuters reports.