Tax & Spend
Meloni Officials Aim for Italy Deficit Below 3% Within Two Years
- Draft budget calculations show shortfall of 2.9% for 2026
- It’s not clear how government will reach that outcome
A municipal worker at the Spanish Steps in Rome.
Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government is aiming to bring Italy’s deficit below 3% within the next two years to reassure Brussels officials scrutinizing its huge debts, according to people familiar with the matter.
Officials are targeting a shortfall of 2.9% in 2026 that would ensure the country arrives just under the ceiling required by European Union fiscal rules, said the people, who cited draft calculations for the upcoming budget. They declined to be identified because the matter is confidential. The Finance Ministry declined to comment because any numbers aren’t final.