The relative peace following the common position among government officials and representatives of EU institutions was suddenly put into question on 17 October. At that date the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi declared that excessively strict rules are not sensible and the rigid implementation of the Pact is “stupid,” as all rigid decisions. Shortly thereafter on 24 October, the ECB Council reacting to the debate sparked by Prodi's remark issued a statement expressing its firm support for the existing European fiscal framework since it felt that the debate could be damaging the credibility of the Pact in the public. By the time, when the EU.
