Brussels May 19 (IANS/AKI) The European Union Commission has refused to speculate on a possible British-style Italexit if a populist eurosceptic government takes office in one of the bloc s "founders and key members".
"We don t comment on programmes in advance. We will let a new government be formed and then see what its actual agenda is " deputy chief EU Commission spokesperson Mina Andreeva told reporters in Brussels on Friday.
"EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has highlighted Italy s importance as one of the founders and key members of the EU " Andreeva said.
Members of Italy s anti-establishment Five-Star and far-right League parties are voting over the weekend on a common agenda for a coalition government hammered out by the two sides over the past eight days which calls for a review of EU treaties and Italy s relations with the bloc.
Five-Star and the centre-right coalition headed by League leader Matteo Salvini emerged as Italy s largest political forces after the inconclusive 4 March election in which populist parties made strong gains.
Several rounds of talks with Italy s party leaders since the March vote collapsed amid the political stalemate and the country s president Sergio Mattarella has not set a new deadline for Five-Star and the League to agree on a government.

--IANS/AKI
pgh/