Juncker in racism row

AS Italy’s new coalition was finalised yesterday, relations with Brussels were already under strain over comments made by Jean-Claude Juncker.

The European Commission president claimed Italians need to work harder and become less corrupt to prosper.

On Thursday he said: ‘Italians have to take care of the poor regions of Italy. That means more work, less corruption, seriousness. We will help them as we always did.’ He was accused of racism and told to apologise. A video of his speech was temporarily removed from the EU’s broadcast website. Antonio Tajani, Italian president of the European Parliament, called for Mr Juncker to retract the remarks.

Yesterday EU officials insisted Mr Juncker ‘loves Italy’. His spokesman said the Commission ‘will be at Italy’s side on its reform path’ and ‘remain attentive’ to its proposals.

SLUMPED in an armchair and slurring his words, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker instructs the people of Italy to work harder. He should try taking that message to the 33 per cent of young Italians who can’t find jobs because their economy has been devastated by the euro.

Indeed, Italy has stagnated in the 18 years since it joined the single currency – that politically inspired project to enforce evercloser union under Brussels.

Though the euro has boosted efficient Germany, it has crippled southern Europe by inflating prices of local produce and services such as tourism.

In Italy as elsewhere, it has thrown a generation on the scrapheap, causing acute social problems and opening up a skills gap that can only delay recovery. No wonder the continent is in political turmoil.

Italians should work harder? If only they had the chance. Every word Mr Juncker utters makes millions of Europeans more envious of Britain’s resolve to break free from this arrogant, statist, bureaucratic, anti-democratic behemoth.