Emu Delay On Euro Against Italy, Says Trade Union

The leader of Italy's largest trade union confederation said on Saturday that delaying the start of Europe's single currency would help keep Italy out of the euro and avoid the creation of a "social and political Europe".

"It is now clear who wants a united Europe and who doesn't, and what the real interests at stake are," Sergio Cofferati, head of the CGIL confederation, said.

He was commenting on a report in the German magazine Der Spiegel to be published last week that Bundesbank President Hans Tietmeyer had asked whether Germany and France could consider delaying the launch of Europe's single currency.

A Spiegel spokesman said the magazine had not spoken directly with Tietmeyer, saying the information was based on talks with sources in Germany.

Cofferati said such a delay would be aimed, among other things, at keeping Italy out of the launch of the euro and preventing the development of a European Union based on social rights and political equality among member states. "It seems there is a very clear worry-- the idea of a Europe that progressively takes on a social and political dimension is opposed by powerful interests operating in Europe," he said. "Keeping us out of Europe works towards the creation of a strong nucleus of countries, which is closed to others, and of a market without rules. "The idea of delaying the launch of the euro risks cancelling out the European Union.

The promoters of a monetary Europe, and only that, have started to move," he said. Italy has made great strides and sacrifices in a bid to take part in the euro's launch but German public opinion is widely opposed to Italy joining in at the start, planned for January 1, 1999.

Tietmeyer was quoted by Der Spiegal as saying: "Wouldn't it be a possibility, together with France, to agree to a delay in the start of the euro?" German finance minister Theo Waigel said on Saturday that it was counterproductive to discuss a delay to Emu.