Renzi defends budget numbers (2)

(ANSA) - Rome, October 25 - Premier Matteo Renzi on Tuesday defended the numbers in his government's 2017 budget bill and said that a letter asking for clarification from the European Commission had not yet arrived. Speaking on talk show Porta a Porta, Renzi said many others were breaking EU rules but he was determined to "go forward on Italy's behalf". "Let's put it this way," he said: "there have been many violations of the EU rules...France has been above 3% for nine years, Spain has double our deficit. Of course our deficit has grown by 0.1% while in other countries much more, apart from Germany. I'm not going forward on my own behalf but on behalf of Italy and we have respected all the rules". As for the latter from the European Commission, he said that "if they send us a little letter, they should send those who don't take in migrants the book home"