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Italy to be replaced by Spain in G8?
“The G8 is a club, and clubs have membership dues. Italy has not been paying them,” said a European official involved in the summit preparations. The behind-the-scenes grumbling has gone as far as suggestions that Italy could be pushed out of the G8 or any successor group. One possibility being floated in European capitals is that Spain, which has higher per capita national income and gives a greater percentage of GDP in aid, would take Italy’s place."— http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/06/g8-considers-expelling-italy