Salvini blasts 'Euro-madness' over ITA-Lufthansa deal

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 26 - Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini on Tuesday bemoaned "Euro-madness" after the European Commission presented a list of issues it has with the deal for the Lufthansa to acquire a 41% stake in Italy's ITA Airways that it wants solving before it will give the green light to the operation.
    "After many years were wasted, the government wants to make the jobs of thousands of workers safe, ensure Italian people's right to fly and the arrival of tourists in Italy, and Brussels objects to it," Salvin said.
    "In my opinion it is because there are economic interests behind it"'. The Commission on Monday informed Lufthansa and the Italian economy ministry of its preliminary view that the planned acquisition may restrict competition on certain routes leading to increased prices or decreased quality of services for customers.
    Specifically, Brussels said in an official statement of objections that it is concerned the transaction may reduce competition on short-haul routes connecting Italy with countries in Central Europe and on long-haul routes between Italy and the US, Canada and Japan.
    In addition, the EC said it fears the acquisition could create or strengthen the dominant position of the Italian airline at Milan-Linate airport, making it harder for competitors to provide passenger air transport services to and from the hub.
    The statement of objections comes after the European executive in mid-January launched an in-depth investigation into the proposed deal between Lufthansa and ITA Airways, taking to phase two the antitrust examination of the transaction that began in late November after the Italian Treasury, currently the sole owner of the company that replaced the loss-making former flag-carrier Alitalia in 2021, and the German carrier formally notified Brussels of the plans for the merger against an investment by the German carrier of 325 million euros. (ANSA).