Ticker
Italy happy to 'confront' EU on budget
By EUobserver
Italy's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini said Wednesday he was ready to "confront [Jean-Claude] Juncker, [Pierre] Moscovici or whoever" over Italy's 2019 budget plan, referring to the European Commission president and finance commissioner. He spoke after the commission rejected Italy's spending plan a second time because it violated EU fiscal rules by overspending on welfare. The EU must "respect the Italian people", Salvini said, amid threats of EU financial sanctions.