Renzi blasts German policies:

Europe

Renzi

Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi openly attacked German policies at a European Union summit on Friday, criticising Berlin’s stance on banking, energy, migration and Greece.

The litany of complaints, in comments to reporters in Brussels, was a sign of how the crises confronting the 28-nation EU have deepened tensions between its members.

Italy, a frontline state in the migration crisis, has become increasingly frustrated with the bloc’s response. It is also critical of new rules to increase the euro zone’s financial stability, another area where Germany has played a prominent role. German Chancellor is Angela Merkel.

“Portraying Germany as a lifesaver for the European economy is not a shared view,” Renzi told a news conference. He raised concerns about the sale to German airport operator Fraport of 14 Greek regional airports in the first big privatisation by the government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras .

Under pressure at home over the rescue of four small banks in which thousands of small Italian investors lost their savings, Renzi turned his fire on Germany’s financial system with an unprecedented attack on its savings and cooperative banks. (RTRS)