One would hope that after a catastrophe like Tuesday’s bridge collapse in Genoa, Italy, the authorities would be focused on helping those affected. But the Italian government has moved on quickly to apportioning out blame.

Matteo Salvini, the deputy prime minister and leader of the right-wing League, said today that those responsible would “pay, pay everything, and pay dearly.”

Among those he fingered was the European Union. “If external constraints prevent us from spending to have safe roads and schools, then it really calls into question whether it makes sense to follow these rules,” he said. “There can be no trade-off between fiscal rules and the safety of Italians.”

Mr. Salvini’s choice to point a finger at the EU is not a surprise. The League is deeply euroskeptic. But his accusation is unfounded. As BuzzFeed Europe editor Alberto Nardelli tweets, the EU has authorized €10 billion for Italian infrastructure. But many Italian governments and parties chose not to spend that way.

Salvini’s government wasn’t apt to be different. Mr. Nardelli notes that a redevelopment project has long been debated for the Genoa bridge, but League coalition partner the Five Star Movement opposed it.

At least one former prime minister argued that debating bridge construction should wait. “Maybe finally it is the time to discuss infrastructure, but without ideology,” tweeted Matteo Renzi. “But today, please, is a day only for silence.”

Now to our five stories for your Wednesday.