Tusk - Don't leave crisis to Paris and Berlin

Tusk (right) with Italian president Giorgio Napolitano: photo - EPA

“That Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Nicolas Sarkozy have taken over at the helm is now clear. But this should not translate into a lasting political monopoly: things cannot be left to only two capitals of Europe," Poland's PM told the Corriere della Sera daily.

Tusk flew into Rome on Wednesday evening, where he had talks with Italian president, Giorgio Napolitano.

PM Tusk said that the actions of France and Germany should not be criticized but called on other members of the EU to use their own initiative and “we should launch “a new political integration”.

Tusk said when referring to “we” he was including Italy.

“This is one of the founders of the European Union,” he told the newspaper.

He said that Poland and Italy agreed on “EU enlargement, the single market and strengthening economic management”.

On Berlin's role in fighting the finance crisis, Tusk added that: "All great countries must have the courage to take responsibility for the future of the whole union. We believe that Germany's share of that responsibility should correspond to their economic role."

Tusk however expressed his displeasure at the latest draft of an agreement on fighting the finance crisis within the eurozone in that regular meetings of the 17 nations which have adopted the euro would exclude countries like Poland which do not yet have the single currency but are planning to do so in the future.

"Our efforts aim at a fiscal agreement the shape of which does not make the division of Europe into two clubs - the eurozone and countries outside the club - more lasting than is safe in our opinion," he said.

Thursday morning, Tusk will meet with his Italian counterpart, Mario Monti, who leads a technocratic government after the fall of the Silvio Berlusconi administration.

The Italian economy was downgraded two notches this month by ratings agency Standard & Poor and the Fitch agency has warned that it could be about to do the same.

Mario Monti, a former European commissioner has imposed tough austerity measures to try and alleviate Italy's chronic debt problems, with government borrowing costs currently at an unsustainable 6.5 percent.

The Polish-Italian talks take place before another crunch EU summit at the end of January. (pg)