11/10/2018 (Agence Europe) – On the sidelines of a meeting of the International Monetary Fund in Bali on Thursday 11 October, its director general, Christine Lagarde, called upon the Italian government to present a draft 2019 budget that meets its European budgetary commitments. "When you are a member of a club and you decide to remain a member, you have to abide by the club rules", she said, quoted by AFP (our translation). Under the rules of the preventive arm of the Stability and Growth Pact, Italy must reduce its structural deficit by 0.6% of GDP a year. However, Rome is planning to reduce it by 0.8% of GDP between 2018 and 2019, stabilising this rate from 2019 to 2021 (see EUROPE 12111). Giuseppe Conte's government must present its draft 2019 budget to the European Commission by 15 October, like all other eurozone member states. (LT)