Italians Tell Brussels ‘You Won’t Bust Our Balls’—but They Might Break the EU

ROME—Just before midnight Monday, Italy’s eurosceptic government submitted its budget for approval by the European Commission, and no one in Brussels knew quite what to expect. They had been dreading this day for months given the campaign promises made by Italy’s populist ruling coalition between the maverick Five Star Movement and the far-right League. Italian budgets often are cause for fiscal consternation.

Then, after looking at the numbers, EC President Jean-Claude Juncker suggested patience is wearing thin. “We were very kind, gentle, and positive when it came to Italy,” he told a press conference on Thursday, “because, well, Italy is […]

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