Premier Giorgia Meloni on Thursdaydenied wanting to nationalise the ex Ilva steelworks after thegovernment placed the struggling Taranto plant underextraordinary administration earlier in the week.
"It is a matter that has been badly managed and for which we aretrying to find a solution," she told veteran Rai journalistBruno Vespa in a recorded interview for his talk show Porta aPorta.
"Some say (the former Ilva) is doomed, but there is a market forquality steel" and the government is working to ensurecontinuity of production at the plant, added Meloni.
But "I don't want to nationalise Ilva, I think there are marginsfor finding private investors who really have an interest inmaking it work. There are several that have come forward," saidthe premier.
On Tuesday the government put ex Ilva now called Accaieried'Italia (AdI) under extraordinary administration after talkswith the majority stakeholder broke down.
It also appointed Giancarlo Quaranta, an engineer with longexperience in the steel industry, as the extraordinarycommissioner to run it.
The steelworks, once Europe's biggest and which currentlyemploys almost 10,000 workers, has racked up over three billioneuros in debts amid an inability to pay its bills and suppliers.
According to the Italian media, Ukrainian group Metinvest isinterested in Taranto, as are Italian company Arvedi and VulcanGreen Steel, a unit of Indian group Jindal Steel and Power.
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