Prospect spurs conciliatory tone

BRUSSELS: At almost 10 times the size of Greece’s economy and the thirdbiggest in the euro zone, Italy is seen as far too big for the other 18 states in the euro zone to bail out.

Uneasy at the prospect of a standoff with a government in Rome that knows that the whole euro area would suffer from a rerun of the Greek crisis on a grander scale, many of those attending tried to strike a conciliatory tone.

EU Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici and the German and French finance ministers welcomed comments by incoming Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte that they interpreted as signalling a willingness to remain engaged with Rome’s EU partners.

‘‘I am going for a constructive dialogue,’’ Moscovici said, insisting the European Commission would not lecture Rome.

Countries with smaller economies were less lenient.

The Spanish and Irish finance ministers rushed to list their state’s economic strengths as reporters asked questions about the contagion risks of a potential Italian implosion.

Italy’s small southern neighbour Malta also signalled alarm at the government’s proposed programme.

‘‘If . . . it is just a question of spending and spending and borrowing and spending. then unfortunately it will be a replay of Greece,’’ Maltese Finance Minister Edward Scicluna told reporters, referring to Athens’ effective bankruptcy in 2012.