(ANSA) - Rome, January 19 - As tensions with the European
Union continued, Premier Matteo Renzi said Tuesday Italy's
regained stature as a major European player meant its critics
and partners would simply have to "deal with it".
And as Italy was set to tap a new envoy to Brussels to help
address charges that the EU felt it was lacking a clear
interlocutor, a key ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel,
European People's Party (EPP) caucus leader Manfred Weber, fed
the row by saying Renzi was undermining the EU's credibility.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, with
whom Renzi traded barbs over migrants, economic flexibility,
banks and State aid Friday, meanwhile denied accusations the EC
had been slacking, saying that 11 of its new projects involved
Italy.
Amid the flap, the Milan bourse suffered again as banking
stocks plunged but the head of bourse regulator CONSOB, Giuseppe
Vegas, denied the notion that Italy was coming under specific
speculative attack.
As the controversy continued, government sources said
Deputy Industry Minister Carlo Calenda will on Wednesday be
tapped as Italy's new ambassador to the European Union,
replacing Stefano Sannino.
Calenda's appointment will be formalised at a cabinet
meeting Wednesday night, they said.
Calenda is the first career politician to be named as envoy
to Brussels after a string of career diplomats.
Renzi said on Facebook that Italy has regained its
leadership role and that those who do not like it must "deal
with it".
The premier made the comments in the wake of heated
exchanges Friday between Rome and Juncker, who has blasted Renzi
for allegedly offending the EU executive.
"Italy is increasingly open and attractive for international
investment," Renzi said, "with major global companies that have
decided to bank on our country, like Cisco, whose chiefs I met
this morning.
"(This is) the best answer to those who... would prefer to
have us be weak and marginal, as often happened in the past,
unfortunately.
"They should deal with it. Italy is back, (and it's) more
solid and more ambitious".
Weber, ignoring Renzi's demand, ramped up the pressure
after Juncker's unsually outspoken attack Friday.
The EPP caucus leader said "Renzi is jeopardizing the
credibility of Europe to the benefit of populism".
Weber told the European Parliament "when we see that Italy
is not willing to help Turkey unless there is a trade-off, all
that hurts Europe, its strength and credibility".
Italy is resisting a three-billion-euro package to help
Turkey cope with Syrian migrants over concerns that national
governments, and not the EU's common fund, may foot too much of
the bill.
Juncker, for his part, said governments that are critical
of the EU executive should take a look at themselves first.
"Without common action, a European policy on migration,
Schengen will not survive," said Juncker, who on Friday blasted
Renzi for allegedly offending the EU executive at "every
opportunity".
"Some governments are quick to attack Brussels, but they
should look in the mirror, they are Brussels too", said the EC
chief.
Juncker told the European Parliament it was "not true" that
the EC "has not been sufficiently active".
He said "the investment plan is already in action, 40
billion euros have already been mobilised".
Juncker stressed that "11 of the projects are in Italy".
He added: "To those who ask me to resign for failing on the
migrant crisis, I say I don't agree and one shouldn't lose heart
but work together, united".
Amid the fall-out from the Italy-EU row on the Milan
bourse, where Monte dei Paschi di Siena hit a new low amid
another widespread collapse of banking stock, CONSOB chief Vegas
said that the recent strong declines in Italian bank shares were
due to general market volatility rather than any concrete new
developments.
Banks that have come under the lens of the European Central
Bank (ECB) for their bad loans portfolios continued to tumble on
Tuesday.
"It does not even make sense to concentrate on these banks,
because the situation is general," Vegas said.
He also ruled out a "specific" bourse attack on Italy.
Meanwhile one of the points of contention between the EU
and Italy, State aid to steelmaker ILVA, will be made the target
of a probe on Wednesday, EU sources said.
The probe will concern aid for production and not an
environmental clean-up, they said.
The undersecretary for European affairs, Sandro Gozi, said
the government was having to fight growing disappointment in and
indifference to the EU.
Renzi says 'deal with it'
Italian premier putting EU credibility at risk says Weber