Quotes By Mario Monti

It is very unusual for a country to ask guys who are not politicians to come and run the country.

Try to guess my answer to that question, however temptingly you pose it.

I believe that in Europe, we have a collective leadership.

In the area of macroeconomic policies, I think we'll see more centralization, like in the budgetary sphere.

I believe that reforms will not really take hold if they do not gradually come into the culture of the people.

There was in Italy a hidden demand for a boring government which would try to tell the truth in non-political jargon.

A lot of the American press at the time was saying 'just watch what happens when Bertelsmann tries to buy EMI, that will be a moment of truth that will show the Commission's true colors.' Well, that deal never happened either.

If governments let themselves be fully bound by the decisions of their parliaments without protecting their own freedom to act, a breakup of Europe would be a more probable outcome than deeper integration.

First of all, I don't like to speak about austerity. I'd prefer to speak of fiscal discipline. Fiscal discipline, in the end, amounts to austerity if it is not accompanied by other policies.

The two greatest priorities for my government are tackling tax evasion and corruption.

This is certainly not the first case in which a merger approved in one place hasn't gone through in the other. There was a case last year where the merger between two EU companies was approved here and blocked in the U.S.

If the euro becomes a factor promoting Europe's drifting apart, then the foundation of the European project is destroyed.

It is rather unusual for Italy to be at the forefront of pro-market initiatives.

The more the UK feels distanced from European construction the less others are able to benefit from the full influence of the many good things that the UK can help us all to achieve, and therefore there are many areas where I think it would be beneficial to have the UK fully at the table.

Italy even in the future will not need aid from the European Financial Stability Fund.

Much of what Germany and France have done in the rescue of Greece has also helped German and French banks, who for a long time were major creditors for Greece and Greek banks.

The absence of political personalities in the government will help rather than hinder a solid base of support for the government in parliament and in the political parties because it will remove one ground for disagreement.

Not all Greeks are ready to do whatever is necessary to stay in the euro.

If Spain goes under, Italy will come under even more scrutiny.

Reference to the territory and total disregard for the nationality of the companies is of course the best guarantee that competition assessment remain just that and doesn't get affected by trade or other considerations.

I know that speaking with parties, which I do, but not very often, is seen by many as a 'contamination.'

My aspiration is not to be loved. It is that my government be respected and credible.

Dominant companies have a special responsibility to ensure that the way they do business doesn't prevent competition... and does not harm consumers and innovation.

I am certain that most Germans have instinctive liking for Italy, just as Italians admire Germans for their many qualities.

Europe has to avoid old prejudices and new ones. That means north versus south, rich versus poor.

What will growth policy have to look like in a fiscally compacted Europe? Clearly any illusion of budget stimulated growth policy will have to go away.

Growth in any individual European country has to be the result of policies for growth pursued in that country consistent with budgetary discipline.

There is no government in Europe where ministers go through that kind of confirmation process, which in fact is modeled on the way the U.S. cabinet members are confirmed.

The Italian economy has been held back for decades.

I know this isn't a widespread view in the Anglo Saxon world, but I believe that much of the reconciliation between more centralized governance and the scope for democracy - democratic control - will be resolved through an even stronger role of the European Parliament.