• Di Maio: "50 million masks have arrived, now I don't understand the controversy"
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by Tiziana Di Giovannandrea 05 April 2020Luigi Di Maio, Foreign Minister, speaking on a La7 broadcast talking about the emergency Coronavirus found: "There is no European Union without Italy" declaring itself clearly against any downward agreement.

"We are not playing the game of those who want us off the European table. There is no European Union without Italy. We must understand that if one falls, everyone falls ."

"There have been German companies - he continued - who told their government that they have difficulties if Italian companies do not supply the pieces. We do not want other European countries to pay the Italian debt. Italy has always been a respectable country that paid their debts. We are just asking to share the risks to share the future, which means creating market conditions so that spending money for businesses, workers and citizens is convenient. We are asking to be able to spend and it will be with the productivity of our economic system that we can repay the debt. Without increasing taxes, but producing the money we need. "

Di Maio also highlighted: "These are crucial days for the EU because we expect the best possible deal to be able to spend all the money we need to help the Italians. The European Union is at a very important moment. We will spend all the money we they are used to help businesses, workers, the unemployed, young people and pensioners. There is no limit in a moment of unprecedented crisis. There can be no downward agreements ".

If I have to save lives, I don't care about the cost of the masks
Speaking of the controversies between the majority and the opposition on the health plan and the signing of contracts with China to equip themselves with the necessary masks, Di Maio clarified: "Italy today needs 100 million masks every month, plus hundreds and hundreds of fans. When we go to phase 2, we will need even more masks. Our factories in Italy cannot meet this need. To date, thanks to the work of ambassadors, consuls and the Air Force, 50 million masks have arrived, 50 Of these, 22 million come from China and we have signed a contract for 180 million masks with a Chinese company. If I have to save lives, I don't care if they are free or if they have to pay for them. even if you pay, you don't necessarily get them. "

Asset: to citizens aid, not taxes
Asked if any form of property tax will be introduced to deal with the economic emergency caused by Covid-19, the answer was negative: "If we want to gain the trust of citizens, we must not make it the citizen to give a answer, but give the answer. Making a balance sheet would mean saying to the citizens: 'give me the money you have in your pocket'. We are carrying out a very tough negotiation with the EU not to tax it but to help it. "