Premier Matteo Renzi on Friday hailed the results his government has achieved at the European Union level this year, and called for the EU to change course just as Italy has.
"This year we can say we brought some significant results home," Renzi told a press conference at the end of a two-day European summit in Brussels. "On (the issue of budget) flexibility there is room for action of up to 16.5 billion euros".
Italy, he said, has kept its side of the bargain by implementing structural economic reforms and now it was time for the European Union to reform itself. "In recent months, Italy has made great reforms," Renzi told reporters. "For this reason, Italy asks with its head held high for Europe to change - that it be more about growth, more attentive to social values and employment, and not just about technical and bureaucratic policies and limits that belong to the past".
Renzi also addressed the issue of the North Stream gas pipeline, calling it "intriguing". The decision to double the North Stream pipeline project "was approved on the sly after the elimination of South Stream last year," Renzi charged. "A majority of countries support our position, against Germany and the Netherlands," he said. "Now the ball is in the (European) Commission's court". European Council President Donald Tusk appeared to concur.
"Several leaders have tabled the issue of the North Stream pipeline," Tusk said. "Italy and Bulgaria need clarification on the feasibility of the North Stream project after the South Stream pipeline that was supposed to bypass Ukraine to bring Russian gas into Europe was judged not to be feasible," he said.
As far as the issue of his government's rescue of four small lenders, Renzi pronounced himself surprised at the wording of a letter from EU Financial Stability Commissioner Jonathan Hill. "I find Commissioner Hill's wording strange when he says Italy was the one who decided (to rescue the banks)," the premier said. "We did what the Commission told us to do - we received his letter telling us what to do and what not to do. Italy respects all European rules and bets its reputation on that," Renzi continued. "Unfortunately in the past, Italian governments lasted less time than a cat on a highway. Now it's different - respecting the rules is a point of honor for us".
The center-left premier added he is confident Italy's banking system is more solid than Germany's despite the recent rescue of the four troubled lenders. "The solidity of the Italian banking system is better than that of Germany," Renzi said. "I represent a country that follows the rules even when I didn't choose them - let us avoid easy alibis," he said. "When (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel spent 247 billion euros to save her banks she did so within the rules...it would be too extravagant to hold the chancellor responsible for that.
I wasn't there, and Italy did not do so," Renzi concluded.
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