Italy and EU clash over ‘lazy and corrupt’ accusation

Jean-Claude Juncker

ROME – Fierce tension between Italy’s incoming M5S-League government and the European Union escalated on Friday after European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker characterised Italians as lazy and corrupt, political sources said.

 In a question and answer session at the European Parliament, Juncker was asked about Southern Italy, unemployment and the use of European funds.

 “Italians have to take care of the poor regions of Italy. That means more work, less corruption, seriousness,” Juncker said, triggering heated reactions from Italy’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the Eurosceptic, anti-migrant League party.

“Don’t play this game of loading with responsibility the EU,” Juncker continued, having been questioned on how to re-energise Europe with an eye on the populist Italian government’s imminent entrance.

 “Italians corrupt and lazy?” the enraged League leader Matteo Salvini posted on Facebook.

 “Shameful and racist words; with the next government we will see we get the rights and dignity of 60 million Italians respected, who expect collaboration and not insults from Europe,” he said.

 Tensions between Rome and Brussels have already been bubbling since European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources, Guenther Oettinger, suggested that the recent financial turmoil would teach the Italians a lesson against the rise of populism.

 The chaos across Italian and European markets “could be a possible signal to voters not to choose populists from Left and Right,” Oettinger said, sparking furious responses from Salvini and Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio.

 M5S had sought to somewhat dampen anti-EU sentiment amongst the incoming populist executive after highly Eurosceptic Paolo Savona was vetoed as minister of economy.

 Yet, having established an amended agreement on Thursday, 81-year-old Savona was relocated to the ministry of European Affairs in a government which is still expected to rattle EU.

 European Parliament President Antonio Tajani had called on Juncker to immediately disassociate himself from the critical remarks.

 Attempting to calm the hostility, European Commission spokeswoman told the Italian paper ANSA that “the words attributed to Juncker have been taken out of context,” adding that “to her knowledge” he did not accuse the Italians of corruption, nor demand that they work harder.

 German Chancellor Angela Merkel has since revealed her willingness for “open” cooperation with the new Italian government, Berlin spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Friday.

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