Spanish-Italian relations are going from bad to worse
Spain has threatened to retaliate against Italy unless Rome lifts temporary border checks by Sunday, in the latest row between the two countries over migration.
“Should it fail to do so… Spain will be forced to adopt proportionate measures to protect the interests and dignity of its citizens,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s office said in a statement on Friday.
Madrid did not specify what those measures could entail, though imposing reciprocal checks on travellers arriving from Italy would be an obvious option.
The government also hit back at Italian criticism of its migration policy, arguing that Italy itself had failed to curb irregular arrivals, “with figures that have reached double those of Spain”.
