Mario Monti Quotations

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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