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Italy Education Minister Resigns Over Lack of Funds

Reuters

   ROME - Italian Education Minister Lorenzo Fioramonti told Reuters on
   Wednesdaythathe had resigned afterfailing to obtain from the government
   billions of euros he saidwere needed to improve the country's schools
   and universities.

   The resignationwas a blow to the embattled government, whoseruling
   parties are at odds on issues ranging from eurozonereform to migrant
   rights.

   It also underscores the problems of the anti-establishment5-Star
   Movement, Fioramonti's party, which is trying toreorganize amid
   widespread internal dissatisfaction with itsleader,Luigi DiMaio.This
   month three 5-Star senators jumped ship to join theright-wing League in
   opposition.

   Fioramonti told Reuters he had tendered his "irrevocableresignation" to
   Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in a letter onMonday.

   Pledge to quit

   Fioramonti said shortly after the government of 5-Star andthe
   center-left Democratic Party was formed in September that hewould quit
   unless education spending was raised by 3 billioneuros ($3.3 billion)
   in the 2020 budget.

   Few believed him, even as the budget continued itspassagethrough
   parliament and it became clear the government had littleintention of
   hiking taxes or cutting spending to find the fundshe demanded. The
   budget was approved on Monday ahead of a December31 deadline.

   "It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that a minister keepshis word,"
   Fioramonti told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.

   Fioramonti said he would still support the government inparliament,
   where he is a lower-house deputy.

   Italy spends 3.6% of gross domestic product on primary touniversity
   education, compared with an average of 5% among 32countries in a report
   by the Organization of EconomicCooperation and Development.

   Fioramonti, a former economics professor at South Africa'sPretoria
   University, has been one of Italy's most outspokenministers during his
   three months in office.His proposals for new taxes on airline tickets,
   plastic andsugary foods to raise funds for education were attacked
   bycritics who said Italians were already overtaxed.

   Green policies

   A vocal supporter of green policies, Fioramonti madeheadlines when he
   announced Italy would next year become thefirst country to make it
   compulsory for schoolchildren to studyclimate change and sustainable
   development.

   Earlier this month,he said Italian energy giant ENIshould halt oil
   exploration and focus on renewable energy.

   "I have sometimes felt I could have had more support from myown party
   over my proposals on the environment," Fioramontisaid."5-Star was born
   10 years ago with a strongly greenplatform, but it seems to have got
   lost along the way."

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