The European Union economics commissioner Pierre Moscovici said that Italy's economic situation was "delicate" and needed to be monitored closely.

Moscovici cited non-EU figures pointing to no growth or even recession for Italy. "These are figures that we need to follow very closely," he said.

He added the Commission will issue new economic forecasts on May 7. In its latest estimates released in February, the Commission predicted a 0.2% growth for Italy this year. He said that the new EU forecasts will acknowledge the current economic slowdown that is most affecting Germany and Italy in the 19-country eurozone.