Italy "doesn't take part in
pointless arguments", Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on
his way in to a council of EU foreign ministers Monday.
"I consider some of the remarks that came from Brussels to
be useless," Gentiloni said after Premier Matteo Renzi and
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker traded barbs
Friday.
"The situation in Europe is very delicate right now, both
economically and on the migration front, and this delicate
situation should be faced without the argumentative tones I
heard coming from Brussels recently and which are, I repeat,
pointless," the minister said.
Gentiloni's comments came after European Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncker on Friday hit back at growing
criticism of the EU executive from Italian Premier Matteo Renzi
in an unusual frontal attack on a member nations's head of
government.
"I think that the Italian prime minister, whom I love very
much, is wrong to offend the Commission at every opportunity, I
don't see why he does it," Juncker said.
"In truth, Italy should not criticise it too much. We have
introduced (greater budget) flexibility against the will of
member States who some say dominate Europe".
Juncker also accused Rome of blocking the plan to give
Turkey three billion euros in exchange for cooperation on the
refugee crisis.
Renzi responded to Juncker's criticism by rapping back:
"We won't be intimidated".
Speaking to TG5, he said "Italy deserves respect".
Renzi stressed that the EC, in his view, had only conceded
flexibility on budget spending "after a lot of insistence on
Italy's part".
Renzi has frequently criticised the European Union, saying
it is too focused on budget austerity and dominated by
bureaucrats and does not give enough importance to promoting
growth and employment.
Furthermore, Rome reacted angrily when the Commission
opened infringement proceedings last year against Italy for
failing to respect the rules on taking the finger prints of
asylum seekers.
The Italian government responded by saying EU should thank
it for the thousands of migrants it saves at sea and complained
of slow progress on a deal to relocate refugees to other
European countries.
The was also tension when the Commission denied it had
stopped the Italian government softening its rescue of four
small Italian banks last year to lessen the effects on
bondholders in this lenders.
Juncker admitted that relations between the EC and Italy
were not going well at the moment.
"I'll probably go to Italy at the end of February because
the atmosphere between Italy and the Commission is not the
best," Juncker said.
"Renzi always complains that I have not been to Italy
since I became president".
Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said Italy's criticism
of the European Commission was meant as constructive and not
offensive.
"There is no intent to offend on the part of the Italian
government, but a constructive attitude," Padoan said.
"(The relationship between the EU and Italy is a)
relationship between the government of one of the main countries
in the EU that is addressing the (European) Commission in an
open and frank way, bearing in mind that we want to reinforce
the EU but at the same time that we have rights on a par with
those of others and we mean to make ourselves heard".
Padoan also denied the charge that Italy was preventing
the EU giving the three billion euros to Turkey.
"Italy gives full backing to the support of Turkey to
manage the migrant flows," Padoan said.
"Italy is not blocking anything. But we believe it is
necessary to clarify whether there is still space in the
European budget to ensure that the three billion euros is fully
covered without using contributions from the (member) States".
Earlier Juncker blasted Rome's stance on this issue.
"I struggle to understand Italy's amazing reservation
about the three billion euros to Turkey because the money is not
going to Turkey but is for Syrian refugees in Turkey," Juncker
said.
"These three billion are a question of credibility for the
EU"
Federica Mogherini, the EU's High Representative for
Foreign Affairs, said Friday that creating division within the
block was senseless, when asked to comment on Juncker's
comments.
"It's stupid to create divisions within Europe," said
Mogherini, who served as Italian foreign minister under Renzi
before being nominated to her current post.
"The Europeans need to be united when faced with the many
crises that exist," she told reporters during a visit to the
Community of Sant'Egidio in Rome.
"Italy needs Europe like Europe needs Italy".
Mogherini stressed that both Italy and the European
Commission had wanted to introduce greater scope for flexibility
in the EU's budget rules after Juncker argued that he had passed
the changes, not Renzi.
"There are lots of things that Italy and Europe have done
together in the first year of the Juncker Commission," Mogherini
said.
"(These go) from the introduction of the rules on
flexibility, which Italy very much wanted and which the European
Commission very much wanted and which benefit everyone, to the
great challenges at the European level on the management of
immigration".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
