Italy will not pay Turks

World January 14, 2016 23:14

brussels - Italy lies crosswise with respect to the intention of the EU to three billion euros to give to Turkey in exchange for keeping Turkey out of two million Syrian refugees and stopping the flow of migrants towards Greece.

         Of which 3 billion comes 1 billion from the EU budget, the remaining 2 billion must be coughed up by the Member States. Italy already has problems to get the public finances balanced and Prime Renzi is not expecting an extra donation for the refugees in Turkey. He wants to, but only if such amounts are not counted towards the deficit figures which the European Commission settles the Member States. Today, the issue on the agenda as European finance ministers in Brussels to talk about the case.
The Italians want in any case more leeway to get their budgets in order, the enormous costs of the refugees should as for them to be seen as an extraordinary situation as a natural disaster. In such cases, the strict budget rules either.
The fact that the Italians now apply the brakes is seen by diplomats as a step back for the EU. 'We have to solve this problem quickly in order to conclude the negotiations with Ankara', said diplomats.