the league may be italy's most popular political party but it's causing a lot of consternation with its hardline on migration and its attempt to form a hard right populist movement across europe my guess this week here in brussels is one of their and eat peas marco's design is their love putin hate macro formula really such a winner. was only welcome to come to examine a lot when your party the league came to power promised to be different from other governments did that include insulting france and its president in this government for instance no i think that it's normal political opposition dad to have. these government and material salvini are challenging people and politicians are governments of that have different ideas especially on the future of this is a bit more than normal though isn't it in france they have a bad government and the bad president. that's something that that is showing up in france we did a lot of unusual protests from french citizens and we are supporting france cities as seen in challenging governments. in the in the with which they are interfering in the int

no we are nice supporting it we are not interfering later when we were initially they don't come to italy and we are expressing their view on the italian government to many times also are there because the sessions want to see other politicians that this government is a populist looks enough of me and they're going to maintain your government by then mention of mr salvini they mention a delete so that's the position of the french government on mr micron and that's a position on a lot of establishment of traditional european parties in the european parliament he was saying and saying he hurt your feelings yeah i mean you know are my apologies in my view it's you know you guys give you a show you enough respect it's no i mean do you have a different view they criticize. the new italian government call it a populist accent of. people there are against poor people coming from africa so it's i mean for us it's normal politics to to challenging or to criticizing parties in europe that have different ideas as you say. crosses a big diplomatic red line i don't think that we this is how you propos

the big heavyweights how will rome's new leaders deal with financial crises and corruption and could italy be a driving force for change across the whole continent got a look at that aid to this former interim prime minister and former head of the into. national non-jury fund welcome to the show it's really great to have you with us. thank you mr gadkari they international monetary fund which she is to run says it all is a common growth in two thousand and nineteen is going to be slower than previously expected she did it would be worried about a collapse of the scale let's say greece but they go home and has that the market for growth all of one percent of g.d.p. the i.m.f. says a zero point six per cent of g.d.p. i think zero point six per growth of zero point six percent the g.d.p. is much more real these things i think that the civi or growth rate over. starting where we are would require various throwing rocks at a regime of growth in the second half of two thousand and nineteen there used almost no way in which there could be such a large acceleration even in the civi or growth rate

but is it worse in italy? the point i am making to you is that it is terrible what happened to you, but it's not a unique experience for women politicians. no, it is not unique, but i think, also in other countries, it happens, it doesn't mean that here it is not something to refuse, you know? i think all women have to join forces all over the world, we have to be more united, we have to refuse. we made so many battles to get our rights, to get equal opportunities, and now what do we do? we accept to be humiliated in order to be kept farfrom politics? no. we have to, you know, combine... you say to be kept far from politics, but actually, the figures suggest a different picture, don't they? because incrementally, with every election in italy, you've got more female representation, if you look at the figures between 2008 and last year's figures. yes, this is true. you've now got more than 35% of members of parliament are women in italy, which is even more than in the united kingdom, at 32%. yes, i know, but loo

that's the big question because it did the social spending is very big on italy's governments behalf italy's president has signed a decree that would bring in basic income for the poor decreased the retirement age and that's all great but are these measures were really needed really are these measures what in doubt italy really needs right now and how would that match ways brussels a stereotype measures. nine if he thought he had a low public debt to g.d.p. ratio i think he could afford tickets to risk rhondda spending on the spending side . particularly in a situation in which the economy is those. bodies are fine even. if the stimulus policies are fine if a god has a low public debt to g.d.p. ratio when the public debt to g.d.p. ratio is so high markets may get to nervous and indeed they did they get nervous when the government was getting a deficit of two point four percent of g.d.p. paramus down to growth rate to one and a how percent which was an achievable the government however. scaled down their spending. t.v. at the full d.c. year so the deficit in target to be two per cent

that other governments are asking italy to do welcome mitterrand's but when we are asking them to take care of their part of this business or of this problem they are just shooting up to our say and that is going to use refusing to worldcom parts of privileges and france and spain governments that's what they're doing they're talking to you about what you are doing a court has now decided that your party leader interior minister deputy prime minister mr sound when it can be tried on charges of kidnapping after refusing for six days to allow migrants to disembark from the boat in sicily now the senate has to vote on whether he will go to trial if you close to trial you party is in big trouble is it not at all i mean it's the normal. and. are free to go on with their mind to investigate if they see that there could be a breach of the low but being put on trial is not being can damage or something your five. alliance your five star movement alliances that if the ministers serving minister is indicted to investigate he has to step down that's their position not at all that's not their posi

of last year ok but they get to the point that the country's heavily in debt it your daddy's by me italy's debt right now is one point eight trillion euros how will the country manage to dig itself out of that. no it is a big issue and it definitely is if any become say. there is no growth. i mean the problem was easier to solve in the last few years when growth was about two on one and how percent if if starting in two thousand and sixteen we had kept public spending call about the in real terms so we don't any cuts with a growth rate of one one and how percent revenues would have increased the and we would have achieved in two thousand and three in one thousand a balanced budget if growth now stalled and he actually that he's a session things are going to be very difficult for he thought it was we need to be afraid and increasing the public debt to g.d.p. ratio the public debt to g.d.p. they both more or less and be with a growth rate of zero point six would still be more or less a stable but if we get into a recession then the public debt to g.d.p. ratio was to rising and that is going

our over a meeting between italy's deputy prime minister and the french yellow vest protesters also the south. dialogue with the girls has long passed. the u.s. special envoy for venezuela was out compromise as world leaders try to find a solution to the country's political crisis. russia demands that the u.s. destroy tomahawk missile launchers and drones help resurrect the arms control treaty that both moscow and washington have suspended. broadcasting live direct from our studios in moscow this is our chief international and john thomas had with us and france is recalling its ambassador to italy in what is being described as the country's worst a dispute since the second world war. as more. well this marks a new low in the already rocky relations between france and italy two countries that should be allies the members of the european union and some have described this latest move by france has being unprecedented i believe it's the first time that france has recalled its ambassador from growing since the second world war when the two countries who are actually at war with each other w

diana has walked us through the fundamentals in italy. but the price of the story, a huge concession for a 30-year issue. then you also have the fact that it's 300 basis points over germany. is that something that's attractive to you? kathy: well, it's more a trade than a long-term hold, but this has been true over the years with italy. you can buy it when the spreads are wide versus bunds and make money. in this environment, when there's almost no yield anywhere around the world, people will take advantage of that, even if it is a trade. jonathan: against a backdrop where the growth forecast this week from the european commission were cut drastically for italy by 100 basis points. the growth story for the continent just is not looking good, is it? subadra: no, it's not. that's where i struggle to see why there is so much demand for risky -- peripheries, for instance. there is still a serious amount of risk. italy came out of some sort of recession -- is in one, i should say. still there is a lot of demand. why? investors are seeking yiel

it needs to puff up just like the eagles italy's full time prime minister. silvio berlusconi must rise and fall. no sex no financial scandal ever stopped him from making yet another comeback placed the dough gently on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and leave for another ten minutes time to press out the dough with your fingertips so wash your hands clean hands were also important in the early one nine hundred ninety s. when judges expose the kickbacks and bribery that fueled italy's national politics the so-called clean hands operation squash corruption. the right toppings for. keep it simple tomatoes and rosemarie the tries always been the food of the common people. bake it's two hundred forty degree celsius for around twenty minutes then remove from the often not the view that is. i know they're high levels of skepticism but there's no need to fear and it alexis. even italy's popular don't want to leave the club they know when something sounds hollow. and that's what you'll hear when you tap the bottom of your perfectly baked for culture. savory

the project goes right to the heart of the division between italy's populace coalition parties italy's hard right pro-business league party once the tunnel to go ahead as do two thirds of italians according to a poll last week on the other hand more than half of five stars left leaning and environmentally friendly supporters oppose the project. range anxiety is one reason why electric vehicles have so far failed to get significant traction in germany that's the fear your car will run out of battery before you get to where you want to go charging costs don't help either but a push for a cleaner city and greener transport has put the german city of solving and ahead of the game they have buses that travel on overhead electric lines take a look. you guys and has been driving the obama for thirty six years old bus installing and this is a cross between a bus and a tram before starting the journey the driver has to connect the car and collectors to the overhead power line to establish contact with the power grid. the trolley poles have to connect to the contact wire with centimeter precisio

especially with the outlook not great for italy. it is only a matter of time before investors start talking about the probability of them being able to achieve their fiscal targets when growth look s so poor there. markets were caught off, although they still managed to get away with it. the italian government, to be fair, they played this well. they saw an opportunity in the market where sentiment was positive. i expect we will see more of that from them. jonathan: you have the fundamentals and then the price and the story. diana has walked us through the fundamentals in italy. but the price of the story, a huge concession for a 30-year issue. then you also have the fact that it is 300 basis points over germany. is that something that's attractive to you? kathy: it is more a trade than a long-term hold but this has been true over the years with italy. you can buy it when the spreads are wide versus bunds and make money. in this environment when there is almost no yield anywhere around the world, people will take advantage of that,

and italy. what does that mean for the eu? we will discuss that next. this is bloomberg. ♪ ♪ >> the most difficult political question is the border between northern ireland. francine: the german finance minister delivering a keynote speech right here on bloomberg at queen victoria street at that landscape for -- future landscape for financial services. he says he believes we will have a brexit agreement by the exit date and says he is absolutely sure he will manage financial market issues. yesterday he said in his country germany that we need to be prepared for a no deal brexit. we will be keeping on -- an ion any headline from olaf scholz. the italian prime minister -- italian finance prime minister has shrugged off month of dire economic data, saying it's all just a temporary economic setback. in a surprise move, france has recalled its ambassador's to italy, citing meddling in domestic affairs, following a meeting between the italian deputy premier and a senior figure of the yellow vest m

they celebrate him like a rock star i feel as though being italy's fall right into your ear minister is cranking up the i here in this small town square in sardinia i couldn't use only one flag one language one identity history culture i'm tradition about must survive. to be able to view the world in sharp rhetoric against migrants and praise the homeland. is not to back. lection sardinia is only a regional one italy's paul writes is flying high in nationwide a situation that so he now wants to exploit even if he's keeping a low profile in front of our camera not only if i should minister the link then though i'm minister of the interior and it's not my aim to become prime minister my business right now is public safety the mafia drugs i'm going to have this job and i want to keep doing it but only a few months into an easy government coalition between salvini sleek and the five star movement of luigi my you italy's far right senses a chance to govern alone belief has already overtaken its previously stronger coalition partner the pole. and the setting for this political battle is no

italy's euro skeptic interior minister. had previously said he supported a review of the high speed rail way project he was singing a different tune on friday when he visited the construction site. it's an incredible work it's something to be proud of infiltration everything on time money saved stopping the construction work would be disrespectful to the workers and would be of no advantage to italy having men and goods travelling on the rail and not on highways is better for the environment it reduces pollution. the project goes right to the heart of the division between italy's populace. coalition parties italy's hard right pro-business league party wants the title to go ahead as do two thirds of italians according to a poll last week on the other hand more than half of five stars left leaning and environmentally friendly supporters oppose the project. range anxiety is one reason why electric vehicles have so far failed to get significant traction in germany that's the fear you're e-car will run out of battery before you

we are likely to see another clash in italy. is that something that people are not paying enough attention to as they clamor for duration on the periphery? diana: four italy's case particularly, it is something the market probably needs to pay more attention to, as we approach the may elections. during the course of the week, we had speculation that there was discussion around a supplementary budget to help boost growth being discussed in italy. i don't think the markets would see that as positive, and that would take us back to where we were last year in q3, q4. we agree it is more of a trade that a strategic long-term play for now, until we get some clarity on how the fiscal dynamics are likely to evolve. jonathan: the german yields have plunged ever lower. we mentioned earlier in the program, the yield curve is negative out to nine years. south of 10 basis points in germany. whatare your thoughts on is happening with the bond curve and how this will resolve in 2019? kathy: it will be a tough environment if you are trying to i

well you know in italy now the party is in power the populist have more than sixty percent approval in the population while the zuma home has maybe twenty percent max if he does have that so. the talent ideas talent populism and the energy that comes out of their own government is moving to france and many people following europe what happens in italy to see if they will be able to to test europe with their budget if they will be able to impose some things they managed to stop immigration through the mediterranean in a few weeks and they agreed both on that the movement of five stars and of itself. they agree on many points like scotty like stopping migration and things like that so it seems to work because man is your point so let me consider this one of the main issues the yellow vests are talking about is the economy when you when you boil down the numbers front as economy actually grew more than expected it pleases back into recession there are those in italy who are saying that perhaps their government should concentrate more on internal matters the next. well you can't blame the

lakshman started he is only a regional one italy's paul wright is flying high in nationwide a situation that's old he now wants to exploit even if he's keeping a low profile in front of your camera. all your friends your minister the no i minister of the interior and it's not my aim to become prime minister my business right now is public safety the mafia drugs. i want to have this job and i want to keep doing it but only a few months into an easy government coalition between salvini sleek and the five star movement of luigi my you italy's far right senses a chance to govern alone belief has already overtaken its previously stronger coalition partner the pole. and the setting for this political battle is now the holiday island of sardinia here both camps are pitted against each other in the regional boat. for an entire week interior minister much as been travelling around the islands to complain it shows just how important this region election here in sardinia has become it is a test of strength for the parties and an indicator that the entire country of italy is moving even further to

the italy in you -- the italy in green, the big rebound of germany out of 2008 and what is interesting is that both roll over at different times. italy is at the zero mark and some say in recession, germany has a vector that is not pretty. to say the least. francine: we kind of have a similar chart. hillary clark helped me with mine, the difference between the 10 year italian and german spread. urine commission figures, they slashed growth forecast for the major economies from germany to china but the slowdown in threatens to make the outlook even worse. that is significant when you look at what is happening with italy. eu cutting its italy growth outlook, the setback for the coalition. joining us is hans. cutting projections from one point to come up with were considered optimistic, 20.2%, 0.2%, cause ofto problems. >> the european central bank has reason to be patient. communication of the central bank may lead to that direction. why -- it has to do with the slowdown in china. that economies which are specially exposed to trade, they had been hit hard. germany is falling into the cat

in the six nations, holders ireland were given a fright against italy in rome. the italians had threatened a first win in the tournament since 2015, as they led at half—time but ireland showed their resolve after the break, to earn a bonus point, 26—16 win. james burford has more. when in rome, do as they romans do. italy want a piece of the action, and you cannot afford to take your eyes off them. the same can be said of ireland, particularly of jacob stockdale. last year's top scorer sent his chance and pounced. he has scored nine tries in only eight tries in only eight matches. italy started to ask questions and started to find space. it is a try. lift off in the capital. if this was good, morisi tried to ensure they had a half—time lead over the reigning champions. so far, a golden performance in the stadio olimpico. ireland are a side flush with talent, keith earls, the ace in the hole, a player you can always count on. lead restored, now depress their advantage. rugby is a game based on territory, right down to the last inch. ireland just had more in

those welcome coming up tensions continue to simmer between european neighbors as they as france and italy have a public diplomatic spat arche correspondent charlotte dubinsky brings us up to speed from paris and we look south of the border to analyze how latin america keeps its engines running and what their fuel future looks like with the lease of p.c.b. the inner americans are a lot plus there's a large legal battle brewing between fox as netflix and it's coming to the boiling point why know of why no media and host of the big picture here are here america hollingsworth joins us to sort it all out and look at what it may need and later canada is good sitter if it's wild way or the highway for the chinese tech giant archy's alex mahela dishes on the ground the dryness is this just how they could be booted out of the great white north all that in our sights but first we had right to some headlines let's go. a darkening forecast for the euro zone economy leads or global report as the european commission downgrades their growth forecast for the year earlier today the european commissioner f

italy, surprisingly market with this one. raising 8 billion euros that attracted more than 41 billion. it is the second impressive vote for the country this year. still with me is kathy jones. moa.ra and diana let's begin and mentally. a mustard demand for euros of debt. what is behind it from where you're sitting echo -- sitting? diana: we came to market with a decent concession. they had about 25-30 basis points cheap to the current 30 year bond, which the market saw as an opportunity to get some , at a relatively attractive level. what we've seen since then is the curve has underperformed. we saw the secondary pricing up closer to where this bond was issued, rather than this bond running back. ultimately, it comes down to what we have been discussing. for italy, it is seen as a duration. european rates are low. in terms of the high-yield space, investment grade, we have had very little issue in december of last year. investors were risking portfolios. withe have come in here, greater risk than they have wanted to, starting

by a meeting between the italian deputy pm and yellow press protesters france recalled its envoy to italy for told on need to chair waiting relations between paris and rome. present from the promise is a complete victory over i sold by next week while his secretary of state says the u.s. troop pullout from syria doesn't mean an end to the fight. and leading medical aid group doctors without borders to the world which claims the charity is partly to blame for the bombing of one of its own hospitals in yemen last june. it's five o'clock here in moscow and you're watching all the international live from our studio with me. welcome to the program france is recalling its ambassador to rome for consultations amid a worsening spat spurred by the actions of italy's deputy prime minister well we're going to cross live now to the four to do penske charlotte sounds like these two european neighbors are likely to be patching things up anytime soon. well that's right rocky relations between france and italy seem to have hit a new all time low with a move that some are describing as precedents it's i b

interior minister month any outlined his country's grievances while also insisting that italy welcomes talks. over the past two years of the french italian the french government bush thinks it's generous and hospitable sent back more than sixty thousand people including women and children some of them were abandoned in the woods at night to me that's not the behavior of a civilized country also every day that he conducts inspections on trains carrying commuters from its data from its wasting hours and hours of working times if that continues italian police will be forced to do the same to trains entering italy from france. because italy's speaking there earlier today here in germany plans for a pipeline supplying russian gas have been thrown into developed by international opposition the u.s. ambassador to berlin has urged germany to ditch the nord stream to project and now france says that it could stop construction by subjecting the russian company building it to tougher european union rules critics say the pipeline which is due to start pumping later this year will make germany depe

italy's prime minister's branded a puppet to the heated debate in the e.u. parliament where he lambasted the blog for being out of touch with its people. europe faced with an economic crisis without precedent this was drawn fearfully procedure it is and it is progressive the last contact with these people my question for you mr cantor is how much longer will you continue to be the puppet on salvini and. under an iranian photojournalist the trump a c bashed around on twitter using a photo that she'd taken on the way to roughly spoken exclusively to. my protests against the street can be the finest so sean. thanks for joining us this hour this is r.t. and. a french former boxing champion has been sentenced to three years in prison after hitting a police officer at a yellow vests protest in january christopher deaths injuries express regret over his actions artie's france correspondent charlotte do pinsky has a story. he was told he would have a sentence of three years two of those he's expected to spend in prison one year has been suspended now the former boxe

well this marks a new low in the already rocky relations between france and italy two countries that should be allies that members of the european union and some have described this latest move by france has being unprecedented i believe it's the first time that france has recalled its ambassador from growing since the second world war when the two countries who are actually at war with each other well this move comes after one of italy's deputy prime ministers luigi dimaio was seen photographed with yellow vests protest is he in france describing the movement on twitter as saying that the winds of change were coming across the alps where the french foreign ministry has hit out at that describing the verbal attacks from italy and saying that those provocations by just too much this is the statement that they were an east the most recent interferences constituted additional and an acceptable provocation they violated the respect that is owed to democratic choices made by nation which is the front and then they violate the respect the democratically and freely elected governments each

that italy refused to support a joint e.u. statement recognizing that is why his opposition leader as the country's interim president so far ten european nations have individually recognized one choir though who declared himself president of the south american nation two weeks ago peter oliver has more details. whole host of e.u. member states of put their backing behind one quite doe as the interim president of venezuela the likes of germany spain the united kingdom france and denmark and the netherlands among others have said that quite though is their man to take venezuela into a fresh set of elections now one country that you're not going to hear from is italy r.t. is heard from sources within the five star movement part of the ruling coalition in that country saying they have no intention of following the rest of their partners and supporting one quite zero in fact what we're hearing is that they are the reason italy is the reason that there is no unified e.u. statement on why they vetoed that just last week we heard from

from italy as being unprecedented some suggesting that this hasn't happened since the second. this is how desperate relations between paris and rome have begun so why has france recalled its ambassador to italy with a statement today the foreign ministry described the provocations and verbal attacks from italy and also described it as meddling in domestic affairs in a statement that was e-mailed it went on to say that having disagreements is one thing between two countries but using the relationship for electoral purposes is quite another and this comes after it emerged on wednesday demaio one of the deputy prime ministers of italy had met with some of the yellow vest leaders here in france he posed with them and then he posted that picture on twitter saying the window. of change are coming across the alps he has offered his support for the yellow best movement as has his compatriots in that the entirely government the other deputy prime minister met a u. silvani this is what he said just a couple weeks ago in regards to the yellow vest movement and how france is treating its

a border tunnel project connecting italy and france as to what's being called the lowest point of diplomatic ties since world war two. and four years after nigeria's president promised to clean up this oil mess we'll look at whether failure will push his reelection. and i'm with all of your support the united states announce former world number two golfer steve stricker as their captain for the twenty twenty writer cup i'll have that and more if you later this news hour. dozens of trucks carrying women and children have been leaving the last remaining i still held pocket in east and syria the u.s. backed syrian democratic forces say they expect to recapture the village of the group within days it's believed there are about three hundred isis fighters there who are using civilians as human shields and holding them hostage imran khan has the latest from gaza that's near the turkish syrian border. at least ten trucks have left the alba whose village carrying women and children now the civilians have been a real concern for both the united nations and the syrian democratic forces in effect both