Forza Italia leader Silvio Berlusconi said Tuesday that Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini was wrong to take a confrontational approach to the European Commission. The ex-premier was commenting after Interior Minister and League leader Salvini reacted angrily to the prospect of the Commission sending Italy a letter calling for clarification over its public debt. "The letter is an automatic thing. No decision has been made," Berlusconi said following a meeting of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) after he was elected to the new EU parliament. "It's a rule of life. If you are dealing with someone and want to get them to agree to your proposals, you have to create an atmosphere of cordiality and respect.
"Banging your fist on the table, raising your voice or even saying, as has happened in the past, that you have to speak to (Commission President Jean-Claude) Juncker before 10 o'clock because after he's drunk is the worst way to get agreements that are favourable to us".
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