Italy’s Deputy PM Salvini rules out early elections

Italy’s deputy prime minister and the head of the right-wing League party, Matteo Salvini, ruled out early elections on Thursday. “There will be no early election, in September we will be preparing the budget,” Salvini told reporters in parliament.

Observers have speculated that Salvini would push for a quick vote to capitalize on his success at European parliamentary elections on Sunday, when the League trounced its coalition partner the 5-Star Movement, Reuters said.

“If I wanted to bring down the government I wouldn’t spend night and day putting together policy proposals,” Salvini said. “There are so many things to do, I don’t want an early election.”

The politician also said the government will respond to Brussels’ concerns over its public finances by citing economic data that will avoid any disciplinary steps.