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Italian PM Slams Bratislava EU Summit for Failing to 'Find Answers After Brexit'

© REUTERS / Yves HermanEU leaders attend the European Union summit- the first one since Britain voted to quit- in Bratislava, Slovakia, September 16, 2016
EU leaders attend the European Union summit- the first one since Britain voted to quit- in Bratislava, Slovakia, September 16, 2016 - Sputnik International
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Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said Sunday he was dissatisfied with this week’s EU summit that he described as pleasant but useless, in an interview with a local newspaper.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker leaves the desk after his address to the European Parliament during a debate on The State of the European Union in Strasbourg, France, September 14, 2016 - Sputnik International
EU Facing Great Challenges at a Time 'When It May Fall Apart From the Inside'
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The EU leaders’ summit in the Slovak capital Bratislava ended last Friday in a joint declaration that pledged to make success of the 27-nation union after Brexit and prevent the 2015 migrant crisis from repeating.

But Renzi argued that the rest of EU leaders had missed an opportunity to agree concrete measures on tackling immigration and boosting economic growth, saying "Europe is not an asylum."

"In Bratislava, we had a nice cruise on the Danube," he told Corriere della Sera. "But I was hoping to find answers to the crisis caused by Brexit."

"Bratislava should have been a turning point, but instead it was yet another meeting to debate commas in a document that says everything and nothing," Renzi said.

"I do not know what Chancellor [Angela] Merkel is referring to when she is speaking about the spirit of Bratislava. If things continue the way they do, we will be talking about the ghost of Europe," he warned.

The prime minister also said Italy’s new draft budget made provisions for a plan to build earthquake-resistant housing and handle continued immigration into the country, despite strict EU rules on budget deficit.

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