Italy, France hit back at German leader over reform calls
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Mon Dec 8, 2014 12:17AM GMT
Italy
and France have expressed anger over calls by German Chancellor Angela
Merkel to make greater effort to coordinate their budgets with the EU
rules.
"The Italian government has never permitted itself to hand out marks to a European Union member country and we ask Germany for the same respect," Sandro Gozi, the Italian undersecretary for EU affairs, said in a statement issued on Sunday.Gozi also told the German leader to concentrate on her own economic woes instead of lecturing others.
"Maybe Chancellor Merkel should focus on Germany's domestic demand, on its lack of investments, or on its balance-of-payments imbalances.”
Meanwhile, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin also criticized Merkel for her remarks.
"We are making reforms in France not to please one European leader or another, but because they are necessary for France," Sapin said.In an interview with German daily Die Welt released earlier in the day, Merkel called on Italy and France to do more to get their finances and economies in order.
The European Commission is slated to rule on whether the two countries’ budgets conform to the bloc's deficit and debt rules in March.
"The commission has made clear that what has been put on the table so far is insufficient. I would agree with this," Merkel noted.
Italy, the eurozone's third-biggest economy which is mired in recession and unemployment above 13 percent, is unwilling to enforce more spending cuts.
The French government, which had previously vowed to bring its deficit down to the EU limit of 3 percent by 2013, has now admitted that the goal cannot be achieved until 2017.
MSM/NT/AS