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."

"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."

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

"I hope that my government can help change Italian mentality."

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

"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."