Merkel made the remarks in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung when asked about a media report that the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and far-right League had planned to ask the European Central Bank to forgive 250 billion euros ($296 billion) of Italian debt.<\/p>\n
She said that while solidarity among members of the single currency bloc was important that principle \u201cshould not lead to a debt union.\u201d<\/p>\n
An Italian governing coalition of two parties generally seen as hostile to the euro took power on Friday, calming markets that had been spooked by the possibility of a new election that might have effectively become a referendum on whether to leave the single currency.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will approach the new Italian government openly and work with it instead of speculating about it intentions,\u201d Merkel told the paper in an interview to be published on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Merkel congratulated Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in a phone call on Saturday and invited him for talks in Berlin, her office said.<\/p>\n
Conte, a little-known 53-year-old law professor, was sworn in on Friday, ending three months of political deadlock in the wake of inconclusive March 4 elections.<\/p>\n