By Lorenzo Tataro Bloomberg News Monday, February 11, 2019
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-...opulists-tar...
Italy's populists opened a new front in their clash with the country's central bank, calling on lawmakers to pass legislation stating that its gold holdings worth almost $103 billion belong to the state.
The gold ownership bill presented by euroskeptic lawmaker Claudio Borghi of the League adds to an already tense relationship between the Bank of Italy and the coalition government. It has also sparked criticism from opposition politicians, and some national media argue that it may allow the government to raid the gold reserves to fund spending promises.
"My bill only aims at making clear that the gold belongs to the state, not to the government," he said in a telephone interview today. "If there are doubts on our intentions, we can also pass another law saying none of the gold reserves can be sold unless there is a majority of two thirds or more of both houses of Parliament."
The central bank says its 90.8 billion euros in gold is the fourth-largest reserve in the world. Borghi's bill, being examined by the Lower House's Finance Committee, calls for an explicit interpretation of legislation that the institute "holds and manages as deposits" the gold, while the state has ownership.
In Rome today Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini emphasized the point, saying it's "important to state that that gold belongs to Italians." * * *
