(ANSA) - Rome, July 13 - The ruling populist majority will
reject the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
free-trade deal between the EU and Canada, Deputy Premier Luigi
Di Maio said Friday.
He said the CETA, which came into force on September 21 and
is now being ratified by EU members, would "have to arrive in
this chamber for ratification and this majority will reject it".
Di Maio said that if Italian "functionaries" try to defend
the free-trade deal they "will be removed from their posts".
As well as being deputy premier, Di Maio is also labour and
industry minister.
He is the leader of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement
(M5S), one of two government partners along with the
anti-migrant Euroskeptic League party of Interior Minister
Matteo salvini.
Majority will reject CETA - Di Maio
Will deny ratification says deputy PM