ROME (AP) — Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte is demanding "authentic" solidarity from Italy's European Union partners on the issue of migrants, but is drawing sharp barbs himself from EU lawmakers for refusing to join a united European stand on Venezuela.
Conte, addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Tuesday evening, insisted that his country's EU partners quit following "nationalistic logic" and instead take in some of thousands of migrants brought to Italy after being rescued at sea.
But Christian Democrat leader Manfred Weber used the debate on the future of Europe to appeal to Conte for Italy to join the "common European approach" that recognizes Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim leader until a new presidential election is held in the South American nation.
Separately, lawmaker Udo Bullmann slammed an Italian-French diplomatic spat as a "lose-lose" situation between key trading partners.
