Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini warned the European Commission his eurosceptic government will “keep going” despite threats to its budget proposals as he issued an ultimatum to Eurocrats “insulting” the country.
By Aurora Bosotti
Italy’s eurosceptic leader Matteo Salvini has been involved in an ongoing verbal spat with European Commission boss Jean-Claude Juncker over the past two weeks.
The pair has repeatedly locked horns over the Italian Government’s refusal to back down from a controversial budget proposal to increase its deficit target for next year.
But with the European Elections scheduled for 2019, Mr Salvini reminded the Commission of the risks of threatening a core member state like Italy: “The Europe of bankers, founded on mass immigration and economic insecurity, keeps on threatening and insulting Italians and their Government?
“Relax, in six months 500 million voters will fire them. We keep going.”
Echoing his coalition partner, 5 Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi di Maio forecast a shake-up in the European political establishment during next year’s elections.
Mr di Maio, who serves as Italian deputy Prime Minister alongside Mr Salvini, warned EU citizens will mimic Italian citizens in demanding change from Brussels.
Speaking to La Repubblica, he said: “There will be a political earthquake at the European level and all rules will change.
“In all EU countries – we can see it from the polls – something similar to what happened during the Italian election will happen. We’ll see with the European elections and it will help us.”
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