by Kassandra Speaking in the ALDE New Year Conference on "Re-launching the EU economy; how to overcome the investment gap?" Commission vice President for for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Yyrki Katainen (former Prime Minister of Finland) threatened Member States with sanctions if they refuse to implement financial reforms imposed by Brussels. The President of S&D Group Gianni Pittella, replied by speaking of a “diabolical plan” and invited President Jean Claude Juncker to intervene, adding “this is not just illegal, it is also politically unacceptable. I want to say openly, this plan could be the end of the Juncker´s Commission. President Juncker should stop Katainen before he causes irreversible damage." Gianni Pittella is a Partito Democratico politician who comes from the South of Europe, has a solid electoral base and is well aware of the problems countries like Italy, Greece, Spain or France are facing in order to comply as much as possible to financial discipline without sacrificing the dignity of their citizens which is guaranteed by a minimum of social benefits and pensions. Diametrically opposed are the positions of ALDE, an elitist northern European club, which sustains financial discipline must be maintained at any cost.