A slap to Matteo Renzi or to Italy? The decision by Germany, France and the European Commission to hold a meeting on the digital agenda with European industry in Berlin next Wednesday without inviting Italy and its premier is clearly a provocative response to the strong criticism recently leveled by Renzi to European economic policy and in particular to austerity, imposed by the Germans and suffered by the French, which has so far had bankruptcy results.
The irritation of Palazzo Chigi for the missed invitation is strong but Renzi does not back down: "I will continue to maintain that their economic strategy is wrong". After all, the comparison between American growth, which has not known austerity, and European growth is clear.
Berlin's rift risks becoming an own goal because not inviting Italy, which represents the second largest manufacturing industry in Europe, to a meeting with European industry has the flavor of a farce. Merkel, who is losing electoral support at home due to her immigration policy, knows moreover that Renzi is the last bulwark against populism and Euroscepticism, and weakening him after Brexit would only be the result of an incredible political myopia for internal ends .
This is why Merkel is trying to put out the fire by declassifying Wednesday's meeting to pure routine, but this time she has not shown balance and wisdom. On Hollande's and Juncker's submission, however, one should not be surprised but rather ask oneself: what idea of Europe do these gentlemen have and with whom do they think they will carry it forward?
