Italy's eurosceptic deputy premier Matteo Salvini on Monday took a fresh swipe at European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and economic and financial affairs commissioner Pierre Moscovici, calling them "enemies of europe".
"The enemies of Europe are those people who are hunkered down in the Brussels bunker. The enemies of Europe are Moscovici and Juncker," Salvini said at a meeting in Rome with France's far-right National Rally party leader Marine Le Pen.
"They have made Europe precarious and refuse to give up their cushy jobs," said Salvini, who leads Italy's rightwing League party and is also interior minister.
His latest attack on Juncker and Moscovici came after the European Commission sent the Italian government a letter expressing concern about Italy's plans to allow the deficit to climb to 2.4 percent of GDP next year - triple the target of the previous centre-left government.
On Friday, Salvini accused Juncker and Moscovici of approving economic measures in recent years that have "impoverished Italy and made its situation precarious" and have "ruined Europe and our country".
Italy’s 10-year bond yield ratcheted up to a four-year high, banking stocks plunged on Monday and the euro weakened as the government refused to bow to EU criticism over its planned budget.
