In the past, the EU executive has let the bloc’s second-largest economy off the hook, even when its spending burst past the limits. But as populist governments across the Continent pull at the fabric of the European establishment and more fiscally disciplined governments accuse the Commission of turning a blind eye, things are changing.
“Increased flexibility for member states to set their fiscal trajectory comes hand in hand with stronger enforcement,” Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters on Wednesday, referring to the reformed spending rules that came into…