Premier Matteo Renzi
said Tuesday that the time when Italy took orders from the
European Union are over.
"Help me to express the idea of a strong Italy, which does
not go to Europe to be told what it has to to, but takes its
ideas and values to Europe," Renzi told a meeting of mayors from
the northern province of Alessandria.
"Let's stop saying 'Europe asks for it' and let's start
saying what we want: the time of diktats is over".
Renzi's administration is also engaged in a battle of
wills with the European Union over its 2017 draft budget, which
features a higher than previously agreed deficit target due to
Italy's spending on its earthquake and asylum-seeker
emergencies.
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Monday
said the Italian government is trying to raise the deficit in
ways that are unjustified and warned it to stop attacking the EU
executive.
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