Earlier in the day, Merkel said the EU objective was to sign an agreement on a free trade zone with the United States before the end of the presidency of US President Barack Obama in January 2017.
"Merkel is in a hurry because as time passes, the people will understand, and they will oppose it [the TTIP deal]. For the economies of Italy and Europe, there are more negative sides than positive," Salvini said.
The stated goal of TTIP is to streamline the flow of goods and services across the Atlantic. The pact seeks to create the world's largest deregulated trade zone, encompassing over 60 percent of global production.
Anti-TTIP activists criticize the trade deal for the unusual secrecy in which it is being negotiated, and are concerned that released sections of the document clearly show that it will benefit multinational corporations and corporate rights-holders at the expense of sovereign nations and consumers.
The 12th round of US-EU talks is due to be held in early 2016 with the aim of drafting the full text of the agreement before the end of the year.
