This week started with Italian Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini trading barbs with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic concerned with the political situation in Italy and the rise of Salvini’s League party. “It is the umpteenth attack by Europe on Italy, on the League and on the government,” Salvini  responded.

https://twitter.com/Italy_Notizie/status/1041655825528446976

“Now they are taking an interest in us, but for years the EU bureaucrats ignored our country’s requests for help to stop the arrivals and saddled us with 700,000 immigrants” – Salvini continued “It would be better if he apologizes and shuts up“.

Sefcovic, who announced this week that he is seeking the nomination of the European Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats to be the next Commission president, said that “we are all worried” when asked by ANSA* new agency about the political situation in Italy and the rise of the League. “I have been to Italy many times and I was always impressed by how this great, important European country was honestly pro-EU,” Sefcovic said to ANSA. “It’s truly a new situation for us. “We have to ensure that, in the future, Italy returns to being the great G7 country that is strongly pro-EU again”.

*Italian news agency ANSA receives funds of European Commission.