In an apparent swipe at Merkel and Hollande, Renzi told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, that he wished Germany and France could solve all of Europe’s problems.
"But that is generally not the case," he said.
"If we’re looking for a joint European strategy to solve the refugee question, it can’t be sufficient for Angela to first call Hollande and then EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and that I learn of the result in the press."
Concerns Over a Lack of EU Assistance
Italy has been on the frontline of the refugee crisis over the past year, with the country receiving more than 150,000 new arrivals in 2015 – the second highest amount in the EU behind Greece.
While Italy has attracted criticism elsewhere in the EU for its handling of the influx of new arrivals, officials in Rome have been angered by what they perceive to be a lack of assistance from Brussels throughout the course of the refugee crisis.
Recently published data revealed that Italy received the help of just 69 EU and member state officers at its six refugee hotspots, compared to the more than 400 officials dispatched to Greece.
This was compounded by statistics that revealed that only 257 refugees out of 39,600 were relocated from Italy under member states’ Emergency Relocation Mechanism, leaving the government in Rome to address the situation with very limited assistance.
Renzi has also directed his criticism at Brussels’ insistence on pursing austerity measures as a way of reducing debt, arguing that spending needs to be increased in other areas in order to stimulate growth.
These comments led to a rebuke from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who urged Renzi to tone down his criticism of EU policies.
