European Union countries must be "prudent" when making comments about Spain's economic problems, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Wednesday, following criticism from France and Italy.

"We all have our problems and we are working to find a solution to ours and also to help the eurozone. We expect that other countries should do the same, that they be prudent in their statements," he said.

Rajoy did not specify exactly who he was referring to in his comments to lawmakers from his conservative Popular Party, saying only that he was talking about "statements made in the European Union on the part of certain leaders".

In recent days both French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti have made critical comments about Spain's handling of its debt crisis.

Late last month Monti said the European Union was worried about "contagion" from Spain's debt crisis. He later apologised.

Last week Sarkozy warned French voters Thursday they should re-elect him as president to pursue his cost-cutting plans or face the kind of debt crises that have gripped Spain and Greece.

Spain's bulging deficit, fragile banks as well as a slide into recession at a time of soaring unemployment, have sparked fresh concern on the markets about the sustainability of its rising sovereign debt.