Europe News

Berlusconi: No EU country can lecture another bloc member

Oct 24, 2011, 16:51 GMT

Rome - No European Union nation could lecture another bloc member on dealing with economic problems, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Monday, reacting to an EU deadline for Italy to introduce credible austerity measures.

'No one in the EU can appoint themselves commissioner and speak on behalf of elected governments and peoples of Europe. Nobody is able to give lessons to their partners,' Berlusconi said in a statement issued by his office.

The premier also said that it was time to protect the euro from market speculation 'once and for all, to avoid a crisis for all of Europe's economies.'

'On the current turbulences stemming from sovereign debt and the crisis of the banking system, particularly that French-German one, we have firm positions which we will present at the next EU summit,' Berlusconi said, referring to a a meeting scheduled for Wednesday.