European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said yesterday that “Italy is distancing itself from the budgetary targets we have jointly agreed at EU level.” He warned “one crisis was sufficient, one crisis was enough” and “after the toughest management of the Greece crisis, we have to do everything to avoid a new Greece — this time an Italy — crisis.” He added “we have to prevent Italy from being able to get a special treatment here that, if everybody were to get it, would mean the end of the euro.”
The chairman of Eurozone finance ministers Mario Centeno said after the group’s meeting that “recent announcements by the Italian government have raised concerns over its budgetary course, concerns that need to be addressed soon.” He added “we are all bound by the euro and we need sound policies to protect it. It is up to the Italian government to show it has a sustainable and credible budgetary plan.”
On the other hand, Italian Deputy Prime Ministers Luigi Di Maio insisted the government “will never sacrifice workers on the altar of the spread and of the crazy rules which have been imposed on us” And, “this government doesn’t butcher people, the music has changed.”
