PARIS — Italy moved back to the center stage in the euro crisis on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Mario Monti called on European Union leaders to emphasize growth as the country’s borrowing costs rose sharply in a debt auction. Mr. Monti told the lower house of Parliament in Rome that leaders, who are to hold a summit meeting in Brussels on June 28-29, needed to quickly implement concrete steps for “a credible emphasis on growth.” Such steps should include more public investment and eventually issuing joint euro bonds. He spoke as the Italian Treasury this week prepared to test investor appetite for the country’s debt for the first time since the weekend Spanish banking sector bailout lost its luster. Italy was offering one-year debt Tuesday, and longer-term debt on Thursday. “If there are better prospects for growth, then spreads will narrow,” Mr. Monti said, and Italy will be “protected from contagion.” The Italian Treasury sold 6.5 billion euros, or $ 8.1 billion, of 12-month bills p

This URL was also folkd by: