Economy, climate and energy package and Ukraine to be discussed by EU leaders

Renzi: “We will look for a political solution.” The European Council will discuss new possible sanction and will sign the political provisions of the Association Agreement with Kiev. In addition, competitiveness, Single Resolution Mechanism and environmental targets.

Economy, climate, energy, preparation of the EU – Africa Summit, and especially Ukraine, trying to reach “a political solution respecting the international law,” as explained yesterday by the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to the Parliament. The agenda of the next European Council has been dramatically revolutionised by cutrrent events, with the problems arising from the annexation of Crimea to Russia getting the first place.

“I think that the representative of a Member State at the European Council should start his work form this Europe, their citizens are living a troubled period and we don’t need talk-show surveys to remember that there is a strong risk of a clear emergence of populist and anti-europeist parties,” said Renzi during a speech at the Italian Chamber of Deputies, in view of the next EuCo. “We have to fight the idea of Europe as symbol of bureaucracy and technocracy, we have to get back the ideals of the founding states..the next eight months will be remarkable from the electoral point of view, both the European Parliament and the Commission will change and Italy will lead the European Union semester, highlighted and promoted by Enrico Letta, that I’d like to thank.”

In Brussels, Italy will be aware that “we are experiencing difficulties and constraints, yet if Italy gets on the fight track it can lead Europe for the next 20 years, not only for six months. We are not going three to panhandle nor to ask for charity.”

The 3 percent debt-to-GDP ratio is “an outdated parameter,” said Renzi, yet “Italy will respect it.” Actually, “We are not talking about not to respect the 3 percent benchmark,” undelrlined the Italian premier, “we do not need to exceed it, we need to respect the treshold with a modification, from 2.6 percent to 3 percent.” At the Senate, Renzi repeated that “we do not want to exceed the 3 percent parameter, and we are well aware that Luther countries are largely exceeding it, being even over 4 percent as France, one of the most important Member States.” He insisted, “We meet all the requirements.” During the European Council, said Renzi, “we eerie supposed to talk about competitiveness, growth and employment, but the Ukrainian crisis will be mainly on the table for in-depth discussions.” For solving the crisis “we need a political solution,” which “respects the international law” and “allows us not to get back to an ‘iron curtain’ situation which we all have to reject, even though it’s currently just a nightmare.”

 Letizia Pascale