EU WARNED: Italian senator outlines SCHEMING plan to break Italy’s ties with Brussels

Five Star Movement (M5S) senator Elio Lannutti tore into the  as the southern European country locked horns with Brussels once more since the coalition M5S-Lega Government took power in June 2018.

Italian echelons have demanded more support from the EU and its members to manage the migration crisis.

Mr Lannutti denounced Brussels’ failure to support one of its founding members, telling the Corriere della Sera: “If this is the EU, why are we still here? The only thing keeping us tied is the common currency.

“It was the robbery of the century. Now, if that doesn’t change, we won’t be paying the €20 billion we owe in budget contributions.”

The M5S politician suggested that cutting off contributions to the EU budget would automatically kickstart expulsion procedures for Italy.

He continued: “At that point, we will not even need to leave. It will kickstart EU procedures to kick us out. After all, the European Union is disintegrating itself.

“It’s over. It’s not worth it continuing to pay all that money otherwise it will become something else.

Mr Lannutti added: “Enough, we won’t kiss Frau Merkel’s shoes no more, we won’t kneel to that Macron bully. Let’s end European kleptocracy.”

The EU does not currently have any process in place that would allow for the expulsion of a member state. It can however suspend voting rights within the European Council according to Article 7 of the Treaty of the European Union. 

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini last weekend sent a stern warning to Brussels during a speech in Pinzolo, Trento, suggesting Italy should make cuts to annual funds sent to the bloc. 

Mr Salvini voiced his criticism of the EU for its lack of support over the docking of the migrant rescue boat Diciotti in the Sicilian port of Catania last week.

The Interior Minister had refused to authorise most of the migrants to disembark the Diciotti until Italy received guarantees from other member states they would take in their share of asylum seekers.

Mr Salvini said: “Europe has demonstrated once again to be unprecedented in filth that doesn’t deserve our money.

From the first to the last one of them, no one cared. And I ask for your mandate to re-discuss the billions Italy sends to Brussels every year.

“I think the time has come to make some cuts to funds given to a useless institution that turns its back when we most need it.”

Senior officials from 12 member states met on Friday in Brussels to try and thrash out a deal over the Diciotti, which the Italian government refused to accept.

However, the emergency meeting in Brussels ended without any agreement, according to the European Commission (EC).

This has triggered an escalating spat, with one European Commission spokesman Alexander Winterstein claiming that “threats in Europe do not lead anywhere”.

Mr Winterstein said he did not “want to go into hypothetical scenarios” on what might happen if Italy doesn’t pay its £18bn contribution.

Budget Commissioner Gunther Oettinger warned Rome of the “heavy sanctions” Italy would incur into if it failed to meet budget requirements: “If Italy would refuse to pay its contribution to the #EUbudget, it would be the first time in the history of the EU.

“This would result in late payment interests. And a breach of Treaty obligations leading to possible further heavy sanctions.”