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Mario Monti, who also served as a European Commissioner for nearly a decade, said the EU was facing a ticking timebomb due to Germany's "excessive trade surplus". He urged Brussels to act immediately and "get tough" with Angela Merkel's government, dismissing fears that such conflict could fracture the unity of the bloc. Mr Monti also called on Brussels to also punish France and Spain for their excessive trade deficits before calling for his own country to be exempt from such measures. The former Italian leader, led the country through its international debt crisis between 2011 and 2013, admitted that Italy has seen a "huge populist success" in their recent elections.

GETTY; BLOOMBERG Monti urged Brussels to act immediately and "get touch" with Angela Merkel's government

Speaking to Bloomberg at the Ambrosetti Workshop in Cernobbio, Italy, Mr Monti stunned interviewer Francie Lacqua with the aggressive remarks. Asked about the important of EU cohesion, the Italian politician noted that trade rivals, including the US, often "finger-point at Germany" for its excessive trade surplus. He said: "In the weaponary of the EU for dealing with internal imbalances inside the EU, there is the macroeconomic imbalance procedure, this is triggered if a country has exceeding trade surpluses or trade deficits, both of which can imbalance the whole EU." Bloomberg host Lacqua asked: "Wouldn’t that be Brussels going to war with Germany? And make Germany less likely to integrate?" Mr Monti played down these fears, adding: "If I was Brussels, which I used to be, I would be tougher on Germany and tougher on countries like France, Spain which have excessive government deficits. "If they do this, the German will say how can they disagree, if Brussels does this for the sake of the whole Europe."

GETTY Monti also called on Brussels to also punish France and Spain for their excessive trade deficits

Merkel stays as Chancellor LIVE pictures Wed, March 14, 2018 Angela Merkel, head of the Christian Democratic Party CDU starts her fourth term as German chancellor. Play slideshow Photothek via Getty Images 1 of 10 Chancellor Angela Merkel (L), CDU, and Wolfgang Schaeuble, CDU, are pictured during the swearing-in of the new federal government

Wouldn’t that be Brussels going to war with Germany? Francie Lacqua