'EU needs DRASTIC reform!' Author blames 'INCAPABLE' Brussels elite for Italian crisis
Speaking on France24, the Director of Europe Alternatives argued the "reckless" persistence of the EU who continue with "business as usual", despite the financial crisis hitting Greece in 2015 sending clear alarms of a needed reform, has caused a domino effect of increased euroscepticism around the Brussels bloc, starting with Italy. Mr Marsili added the European elite had been so far "incapable" of driving the EU towards the political reform needed to counteract the growing populist sentiment in the Continent. He said: “I think there is a bit of confusion because we are radically underestimating the fact that the European Union - and the eurozone in particular - needs drastic ambitious reforms. “It is the incapacity of the current European and national establishment to drive through a much needed political and economic reform of the European Union that is triggering the nationalist and xenophobic backlash that we’re witnessing today.
GETTY•FRANCE24 Italy news: Lorenzo Marsili blames EU for deep political crisis in Italy
“We’re treating this as if it were something emerging out of nowhere but it is, in fact, a symptom of a decane European politics and the reckless continuation of an unsustainable business as usual on the part of the governing elite. “You cannot crash the Greeks in 2015 and continue with an economic stagnation in that country, crash any attempt to reform a clearly unsustainable eurozone and drive in some medical more fiscal transfers of investments of anti-cyclical economic policies. “You cannot continue doing that forever. “There will come a point when people rebel and unfortunately the rebellion is going to be even uglier than the first progressive attempt that demanded a transformation that the Greeks brought in 2015 represented and that, as we know, was crashed.”
There will come a point when people rebel and unfortunately the rebellion is going to be even uglier Lorenzo Marsili
Mr Marsili's comments come as Italian President Sergio Mattarella blocked the would-be eurosceptic Lega-Five Star Movement government vetoing finance minister-to-be Paolo Savona proposed by the coalition. In an attempt to move Italy back closer to Brussels, the Italian President summoned Carlo Cottarelli to his office on Monday. Mr Cottarelli, a former IMF director is now tasked with forming a pro-EU technocrat government in Italy, despite the country's palpable anger against institutions like the IMF and European Central Bank, and the deeply unpopular austerity measures imposed in 2011. On the coalition's move towards the eurozone's first eurosceptic government, President Mattarella said: “Membership of the euro is a fundamental choice. If we want to discuss it, then we should do so in a serious fashion. “The uncertainty over our position has alarmed investors and savers both in Italy and abroad.”
Italian election pictures: Who won the Italy Election 2018? Mon, March 5, 2018 Italian election pictures: Who won the Italy Election 2018? Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 21 Candidate of Five Stars Movement Alfonso Bonafede