John Redwood: The war of words in the EU

Tit-for-tat rhetoric doing little to ease tensions within bloc

Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, had some choice words to say about the Italian budget dispute recently.

He argued that Italy has to keep to the strict budget limits on spending and borrowing laid down by the EU. He even suggested it would mean the end of the euro if Italy insisted on receiving further special treatment. This went down badly in Italian government offices, with deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini responding strongly against unwelcome EU interference. Salvini then upped the rhetoric by sharing a joint platform with Marine Le Pen in France and accusing the European Commission of being in a bunker, generating fear and insecurity. This is unlikely to help compromise on the b...