Italy's ruling conservative and opposition Democratic Party MEPs' abstention from a European Parliament vote on the European Union's new budget rules "does not mean being against" them, foreign minister Antonio Tajani said on Wednesday.
'Abstaining does not mean being against. The message is that this (new Growth and Stability) pact can be improved," Tajani said in remarks to his centre-right Forza Italia party members in Rome.
"We believe we have given a positive signal that the text needs improving," he added.
Tajani also called for the European Central Bank to cut interest rates "to achieve the goal of growth and competitiveness for Italy and the EU".
Italy finance minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said Wednesday the new EU budget rules which will apply from 2025 are not ideal but are "a step forward" from old ones and Italy's multi-year deficit forecasts are already broadly in line with the new rules.
MEPs on Tuesday approved the new budget rules, which gives countries who are breaching them seven years to bring their debt and deficit levels down compared with four years previously.
States' debts must still be under 60% of national income (GDP) and their deficits under three percent, according to the new rules.
