Mario Monti Quotes

As to the question of elected or not elected, each member of the European Commission has been appointed jointly by the governments of the 15 member states, and undergone individual scrutiny and a vote of confidence from the European Parliament.

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

I don't believe we're seeing the beginning of a divergence. We have seen a partial divergence on this case.

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

I have the most profound respect for the Department of Justice and the FTC. We in Europe are a younger and I would say junior institution to the historical antitrust experience of the US.

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

The Italian economy has been held back for decades.

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

All I am saying is I will be a senator - should there be any special circumstance where the political forces would believe that there might be a need for my service, I would consider it.

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

So I think democracy, in the long-term, in our countries will survive if it comes to be associated with leadership, will not survive if democracy plus media brings to us more and more followship rather than leadership.

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

Italy needed structural reforms to become more competitive.

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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.

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

I hope that my government can help change Italian mentality.

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti

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

- Mario Monti