14/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - Renzi slams “Stupidity Pact”. The new Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi, said on Rai Uno on Thursday 13 March that the EU's Stability and Growth Pact was a “Stupidity Pact” as it restricts public spending. Renzi was echoing a description of the pact by former president of the European Commission, fellow Italian Romano Prodi. French news agency AFP reports that Renzi said he was the prime minister of a country that meets its commitments to Europe, but that there was an even bigger commitment - the vocation of Europe, which must not be a collection of heartless bureaucrats. In 2014, Italy is due to return to growth of 0.6% of GDP (following the 1.9% contraction of GDP in 2013), according to European Commission forecasts. (MB)