MARIO MONTI

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

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

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

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

The Italian economy has been held back for decades.

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.

I understand that Italy could have been associated with the idea of an undisciplined country in the past.

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.

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

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

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.

Like other antitrust agencies we make our assessment of a merger or antitrust case based on its impact on our jurisdiction, and not on the nationality of the companies. This is exactly what the U.S. antitrust agencies, the Justice Department and the FTC, do.

I have always been considered to be the most German among Italian economists, which I always received as a compliment, but was rarely meant to be one.

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

I hope that my government can help change Italian mentality.

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

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

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.

That statement was not addressed to the authors of political statements. I said that I deplore attempts to misinform the public and to /trigger/ political intervention. And there were such attempts.

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 has piled up huge public debt because the successive governments were too close to the life of ordinary citizens, too willing to please the requests of everybody, thereby acting against the interests of future generations.

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

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.

Italy needed structural reforms to become more competitive.

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