EU budget Commissioner Gunther Oettinger sparked outrage from Italian politicians after he suggested markets would "teach Italians to vote for the right thing" – Istituto degli Affari Internazionali president Ferdinando Nelli Feroci tore into the eurocrat as he urged Italians to move on.

The IAI expert and retired officer of the Italian Navy, Fabio Caffio, explains to El País Italy's choice to close harbors to migrants: "Limiting entry into its territory is its sovereign right".