- Title: ITALY-RENZI/MERKEL PROTEST Protest as Merkel, Renzi meet in Florence
- Date: 23rd January 2015
- Summary: FLORENCE, ITALY (JANUARY 23, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER MATTEO RENZI ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE RENZI GREETING JOURNALISTS OUTSIDE FLORENCE'S ACCADEMIA GALLERY PROTESTERS DRESSED LIKE STATUES, WITH BANNERS READING (Italian): ''TAXES'', ''BILLS", ''DEBTS WITH BANKS'' VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS DRESSED LIKE STATU
- Embargoed: 7th February 2015 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Italy
- Country: Italy
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA98GPCDD840HG5PFJWGVZTJPQ4
- Story Text: People dressed up as ''monuments to poverty'' on Friday (January 23) protested against Europe's economic policies, as Italy's prime minister Matteo Renzi hosted German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Florence, Italy's Renaissance capital.
The demonstrators, dressed to look like statues and holding a banner reading ''The Europe of Renzi and Merkel only creates poverty'', were protesting over the bloc's economic policies and the lack of jobs in many European countries.
They were also critical of the influence they said Brussels and Germany had over the economies of southern Europe.
''In the last few hours, Matteo Renzi showed Merkel Florence's main monuments. Meanwhile, we have set up here what we think is the most significant monument in Italy at the moment: the monument to poverty. Millions of people - the unemployed, people forced to retire, precarious self-employed workers, bankrupt entrepreneurs - have passed the threshold of poverty also, and mainly, thanks to the economic policies imposed by Angela Merkel on Italy, policies that governments unable to defend Italy's interests have applied. Therefore, we believe Renzi and Merkel should have the courage to come here and see what results they have produced, the absurd policies of the last few years," said one of the protesters, Giorgia Meloni, a centre-right politician.
Merkel and Renzi met at length to discuss German plans for the presidency of the G7.
Speaking in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday (January 22) Merkel had warned fellow European leaders not to ease off on economic reforms after the European Central Bank announced bold new moves to bolster growth in the euro area.
Friday's protest took place outside Florence's Accademia, where Merkel held a joint news conference with Renzi, speaking in front of Michelangelo's David, one of the most famous Renaissance masterpieces. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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