Conte created anti-2-country Europe front - PM sources

(ANSA) - Brussels, June 1 - Premier Giuseppe Conte created an Italy-led front of 11 countries against a take-it-or-leave-it Franco-German "two-country Europe" package including giving Frans Timmermans the European Commission presidency, premier's office sources explained Monday.
    Conte arrived at the EU summit "convinced that a veto was not needed" on Timmermans but then "found himself faced with a Franco German wall, compact in wanting to impose a take it or leave it package", they said.
    This is when it became a question of principle and method for Conte, they said, and of respect for Italy and the European Council, because "Europe is 28 and not just two".
    Conte managed to bring the other countries contrary to Timmermans onto this position too, "creating a front of 11," the sources said. Conte told Corriere.it Monday that he had opposed a deal between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron for a package of EU job appointments including giving Timmermans the presidency of the European Commission because the accord risked "blowing on anti-Europeanism".
    He said "dear colleagues, I make a heartfelt plea to you, you are committing a glaring mistake.
    "If you insist on this package of appointments without taking into account our requests, you do not fail to respect me but all the millions of citizens I represent" and the millions of citizens of countries outside the accord," Conte told the European Council.
    Merkel said earlier that voting against Italy would lead to tensions, after the EU summit put off debate on appointments for another day amid opposition from Italy, the Visegrad Group, and other countries to some of the proposed new occupants of the top jobs.
    "Voting against the entire Visegrad Group and a country like Italy would be very difficult" because "it would lead to tensions" in the future," the chancellor said.
    She said the EU leaders want to reach "the highest consensus possible". Merkel said "I'm aware that we are giving a bad image to the citizens, but we are working to find a compromise".
    Earlier Conte said the "prefabricated Osaka package" including Timmermans as new European Commission President had left him and 10-11 other countries "perplexed" and he had thus voted against it.