Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi’s speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 2 July, on the occasion of the beginning of the Italian presidency of the European Union, received “applause and controversy” and provoked a “confrontation with the Germans in regards to flexibility”, notes La Repubblica. Renzi insisted on “two fundamental points”, observes the daily: the necessity to renew growth and to recuperate a common European cultural identity.
Particularly critical of Renzi’s intervention was the German Manfred Weber, head of the conservative European People’s Party parliamentary group, who retorted that “debts do not create the future; they destroy it. We must continue along the path of budgetary rigour.”
Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!
It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.
Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!