Urso warns EU: “Without change of course, workers will take to the streets after farmers”

Brussels – It is a warning to EU institutions, while the tractor protest has not yet exhausted itself. “Without a change of course in Europe, after the farmers, the workers will take to the streets,” warns the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, speaking to a group of journalists—including Eunews—before meeting with the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, and EU Commission Vice-President and Head of Competition, Margrethe Vestager, at the Berlaymont.

It was precisely with Commissioner Breton that the Italian minister confronted this afternoon (Feb. 8) on European industrial policy, “also in light of what is happening regarding the farmers’ protest on the Common Agricultural Policy.” On behalf of the entire government, Urso responded briefly to questions on the impact of farmers’ protests on community policies—”Italy has long been asking for a change of course from Europe, they are finally agreeing with us”—dwelling more on the hope that “this will also happen for industrial policy.” In this regard, the call is for “a significant change of course, reconciling in the field of industry environmental sustainability with social and productive sustainability and thus competitiveness.”

Taking stock with the press in Brussels, the Business Minister then attacked the Union’s climate policy, arguing that “the stages and modalities” of the Green Deal need to be revised, “to reach the goal of full environmental sustainability.” While the ultimate goal of 2050 “must be maintained,” it is the stages that must be made “sustainable,” the minister added: “Europe must set an example to the world” on environmental sustainability, “but it must do so by enabling its companies, its workers, and its citizens to get to that date while protecting their business.”

On the industrial policy front, precisely, Urso claimed Rome’s success on some dossiers—”we managed to change Euro7, ecodesign, the dossier on critical raw materials”—and relaunched on others not yet closed, “I’m thinking of the one on packaging.” It is in this framework that the warning to the EU about the risks of new street protests in case of a missed change of course intersects with the Italian government’s request to “allow in our continent to survive a production system capable of sustaining a social and employment system that our citizens deserve,” is Urso’s exhortation before the meeting with the members of the von der Leyen cabinet.