ROME – The new British Foreign Minister, Boris Johnson, has sparked a heated debate with Italian Minister of Economic Development, Carlo Calenda, over the effect of Brexit on the Italian prosecco industry, claiming Italy may lose its English consumers.

 Who wins and who loses from Brexit? Does Prosecco win and fish and chips lose? The derby between the two products -- or better said, the two national symbols of Italy and England -- has commenced in a verbal spat between Johnson and Calenda.  

 The battle began flooding through various British newspapers. The proposal, led by Johnson, was that Italy should allow Great Britain to maintain access to the single European market, without the 'inconvenience of leaving doors open also to the free circulation of people' says Calenda.  According to Johnson, Italy should do the right thing if the country does not want to lose the significant English market for their prosecco industry.

 Through the words of a spokesperson, Boris Johnson made clear that his statement was not meant to offend. However, Calenda did not take the message lightly, mocking Johnson’s threat, claiming, “I said that maybe we shall lose a bit of exportation of prosecco towards one single country, whilst they (Great Britiain) will lose the exportation of fish and chips towards 27 countries.”

 Calenda concluded, “I feel that putting such things on this level is slightly insulting,” whilst British newspapers such as The Times agreed, claiming, “Instead of worrying about the customs union and the financial passport, Boris Johnson is arguing over prosecco and fish and chips.” To go a step further, the liberal Guardian paper said that Theresa May’s new Foreign Minister is ‘ridiculising’ politics.

 Hence, the fish and chips vs prosecco battle has begun. It appears that the English population, represented by Johnson, truly fear that they shall lose their beloved bubbly wine over the recent Brexit decision.

 sw