European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici has gone on the attack once again, claiming that “war” could come to Europe should populist anti-establishment parties win in the upcoming European Parliament elections.
Mr Moscovici refused to identify any parties or politicians by name but addressed “populists” and “nationalists” at a meeting of the Centre for European Reform saying nationalists would impose a “national preference” that could both lead to the destruction of the European Union and potentially to “war,” Il Giornale reports.
“If we reintroduce divisions between us, North-South, East-West, and if national preference becomes Europe’s way of thinking, Europe will die,” Moscovici said.
“Without Europe, I’m sure the war can re-emerge here,” he added, before referencing a speech from former French President François Mitterand who claimed, “nationalism is war.”
The comments are just the latest attack on populism and populist movements by Moscovici who previously claimed Europe had a “climate that looks a lot like the 1930s,” and added, “Clearly there is no Hitler, perhaps some small Mussolini. History, as Raymond Aron used to say, is tragic. We must prevent it from sinking into its darkest hours.”
The European Commissioner has been particularly outspoken against the Italian populist coalition government’s budget saying that the Italians present a “problem” for the political bloc.
His comments were countered by Italian Interior Minister and leader of the League Matteo Salvini who said, “EU Commissioner Moscovici, instead of censuring his France that rejects immigrants in Ventimiglia, has bombed Libya, and has broken European parameters, attacks Italy and talks about many little Mussolinis around Europe.”
Moscovici has also pushed for further federalisation in the European Union advocating for a “eurozone budget.”
“Having a eurozone budget is absolutely decisive if we want to address the populist challenge, the burning question of inequalities,” he said.