Juncker says admires Italy's efforts on refugees

(ANSAmed) - Brussels, September 22 - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday singled out Italy for praise for its work to save asylum seekers at sea and receive those who make it across the Mediterranean. "The refugee crisis is important because it's the reason that the EU is split," he said. "The EU must not leave Italy, Greece and Malta alone. The EU must help the countries on the front line... I admire Italy.
    It does more than Greece because every day it saves thousands of lives". "The ships of all Europe take all of them to Sicily and leave Italy with the job of feeding and hosting them".
 Italy would have had 19 billion euros less to spend this year without the budget flexibility the European Commission managed to get for it, fighting "the elements you know," EC chief Juncker said Thursday, referring to northern European budget hawks. Speaking at the European Economic and Social Committee, Juncker also said "we have introduced the investments clause and Italy is the only one benefitting from it". Premier Matteo Renzi fought hard for some wiggle room on the budget deficit last year and is looking to get more this year both the migrant emergency, again, and for starting an ambitious decades-long reconstruction programme after the central Italian earthquake that flattened whole villages and killed 297 people.