Berlusconi protest over French energy merger

Italy’s Premier Silvio Berlusconi said today that the European Union should intervene in the planned French energy merger aimed at blocking a potential hostile bid from Italian energy company Enel.

Berlusconi’s comments followed similar ones earlier in the day by Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini, who said that the Italian government will point out in Brussels that “respect of the rules is indispensable”.