Italy — Factors to watch on September 21

The following factors could affect Italian markets on Monday. Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot vouch for their accuracy. New items are marked with (*). Politics Italy is preparing to ban face coverings in schools and to cap the number of foreign students per class, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday as she played up her right-wing credentials at a youth event organised by her party. Economy Italy is ready to act to eliminate the premium it pays for gas, even without the EU's approval, despite concerns that the measures could trigger an EU infringement procedure, Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin told daily la Repubblica on Sunday. He added that Italy was negotiating with the EU to cap the price of gas used by power plants, a measure Spain introduced in 2022, and that a cap of €80 would serve no purpose. Italian government ministries implemented spending cuts worth €2.9 billion in 2025, or €600 million more than initially planned, Il Messaggero reported on Sunday, citing a document. The figure could be relevant to the calculation of Italy's deficit-to-GDP ratio, the daily added. Debt Treasury announces details of the BTP Short and BTPei.