The Italian president has hit back at claims by Boris Johnson that the coronavirus infection rate in Britain is worse than in Italy because the British are more “freedom loving”.
Sergio Mattarella, 79, was responding to Mr Johnson’s statement in parliament on Tuesday when he denied suggestions that Britain’s contagion rate was worse than Italy’s or Germany’s because its track and tracing system was less efficient.
“There is an important difference between our country and many other countries around the world and that is our country is a freedom-loving country,” Mr Johnson said. “It is very difficult to ask the British population uniformly to obey guidelines in the way that is necessary.”
Asked about Mr Johnson’s claim, Mr Mattarella said yesterday: “We Italians also
