Italy's 5-Star to keep budget deficit at 1.5 percent, says leader Di Maio

The 5-Star Movement, which emerged as Italy's biggest party after last month's vote, will propose an economic plan which will keep the budget deficit near the level forecast for this year by the outgoing center-left government, its leader said. During its campaign, the 5-Star pledged to raise the budget deficit in order to fund welfare spending and tax cuts, but has toned down its comments since the vote. In an interview with La Repubblica newspaper on Saturday, 5-Star leader Luigi Di Maio said his economic plan would "keep the budget deficit at 1.5 percent".