Italy's right-wing frontrunner asks Draghi to freeze Ita Airways sale

The Brothers of Italy party, leading polls ahead of next month's election, has asked outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi to freeze the sale of a majority stake in state-owned airline Ita Airways. Draghi resigned on July 21 and his key ministers have been debating whether the sale process can go ahead with a government acting in a caretaker capacity ahead of a snap national election scheduled on Sept. 25, sources told Reuters. "Everything can change following the vote and the relaunch of our national airline will be the responsibility of whoever governs," far-right Brothers of Italy party leader Giorgia Meloni said in a statement. Draghi's office declined to comment. The Treasury planned to privatise ITA through a direct sale while retaining a minority, non-controlling stake in the initial stage. The original goal was to clinch a preliminary deal with the potential buyer by the end of June. Rome must decide with which of the two consortia competing for Ita Airways to start exclusive talks. Before the political crisis erupted last month, shipping group MSC, which is working with Germany's Lufthansa, was seen as the leading candidate, sources have previously said. The two groups are facing a rival bid made by a consortium comprising US private equity fund Certares, Air France-KLM and Delta. While the privatisation process is set to become a contentious matter in the electoral campaign, Ita Airways last week asked the government for E400m in fresh capital, following a first tranche worth E700m paid by the Treasury last year. Under the terms agreed with the European Union, Rome can inject up to E1.35b into the carrier by 2023.<br/>