The future of the eurozone, and Italy’s place in it, remains a hot topic as polling day approaches.
At 132 percent of GDP, Italy has the European Union’s worst debt ratio after Greece.
Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco has cautioned that parties’ pledges to slash taxes and hike spending could prove counterproductive since the problem of high debt “cannot be sidestepped.”
The Five Star Movement, which is currently leading the polls as Italy’s most popular party, previously said they would “immediately” hold a referendum on Italy’s membership of the eurozone if elected.
Last month they backtracked, with party leader Luigi Di Maio admitting “it is no longer the right moment for Italy to leave the euro”.
He said: “The referendum is a last resort which I hope to avoid.”
But fears remain a shock result could reignite the debate, especially if the hardline anti-EU party Lega Nord secure a decent return.
With an outright winner of the election a long-shot, the likely result is a coalition of left-leaning or right-leaning parties.
The latest polls point to a hung parliament. If this happens, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, will call on parties to form a broader coalition of pre-election adversaries.
If the Lega Nord can secure a decisive return, their determination to quit the eurozone could prove a major headache to officials in Rome – and Brussels.
This could include the ruling centre-left Democratic Party and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia.
Earlier this month party leader Matteo Salvini described the euro as a “German currency” and claimed it had damaged the Italian economy.
Mr Salvani said: “It’s clear to everyone that the euro is a mistake for our economy.
“We don’t have a euro in our pockets. We have a German mark which they called the euro.”
The Lega Nord manifesto says Italy should leave the European Union unless the fiscal rules set out in the Maastricht Treaty which prepared the ground for the single currency were scrapped.
It says: “We want to remain in the EU only if we can renegotiate all the treaties which limit our full and legitimate sovereignty, in practical terms returning to the European Economic Union which preceded the Maastricht Treaty.”
The Italian election takes place on March 4.