Italy talks of big deficit amid weak economic data

ROME/MARINA DI PIETRASANTA, Italy (Reuters) - Italy's populist government could break European Union fiscal rules next year with a big-spending budget, a cabinet official said on Friday, despite Brussels calling for a "prudent" spending plan and new data showing feeble economic growth.

Cabinet undersecretary Giancarlo Giorgetti said a need to invest heavily in infrastructure could justify a 2019 deficit of more than 3 percent of gross domestic product, the maximum allowed under EU rules designed to ensure financial stability.