05/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - During an ECOFIN fringe meeting, the Italian Minister of Finance, Giulio Tremonti defended the position of the Italian government on Europe. He stressed that ideas that were not "politically correct" in the past had now come to the centre of the debate. He asserted that two years ago the ideas of a federal nation state, referendums and governance were considered "unorthodox" but were central today. He said that as well as the form, the substance had to be taken...