Monti against populism, which aims to disintegrate rather than integrate. “Just as the construction of Europe is perfecting itself, the difficulties relating to the Eurozone have exposed a great, growing and dangerous sensitivity and in the various public opinions in various countries with a tendency towards antagonism and to consider differently on the part of the peoples from northern Europe those from the south and vice versa; old stereotypes and old tensions have re-emerged and it is paradoxical and sad that in a phase in which it was hoped to complete integration instead a dangerous opposite phenomenon is taking place with many populisms aiming at dis-integration in almost all member states” also if “to a different extent”, hPrime Minister Mario Monti pointed out today in Cernobbio, at the end of a meeting with the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy in the setting of Villa d'Este where the usual meeting of the elite of finance and politics is underway in the Ambrosetti workshop. And precisely in today's face to face Monti proposed to Rompuy to organize an ad hoc meeting of the Heads of State and Government in Rome, where the Treaty of Rome was signed in 57 which launched the European project, in the Campidoglio . A summit against a phenomenon of rejection of the European Union. ”I welcomed Monti's idea of a special meeting on the future of the idea of Europe – said Van Rampuy – I have put this discussion on the agenda by the end of 2014. But given the current situation it would be a good idea to have the discussion well before". The president of the European Council underlined that “Monti has brought Italy back to the heart of Europe with a series of impressive reforms. Looking at what has already been done and the Italians' determination to attack each problem one at a time I am confident that the efforts will lead to success." A long-term effort that will require sacrifices today but will ensure growth and jobs tomorrow: "a job that had to be done in the European Union or not". Italy's interests, says Van Rompuy, are not in contradiction with the interests of Europe.
And from many quarters the request for a Monti bis government emerged from the Ambrosetti workshop. Gianni Zonin, president of the Popolare di Vicenza, said today that "the ideal is a caretaker government endorsed by the political vote". For the economist Nouriel Roubini there is no alternative to Montism in Italy. “It doesn't mean that Monti will necessarily have to be prime minister – he said yesterday – but in order to survive Italy will have to carry on with reforms and resort to the help of the ECB and Germany to return to growth”. And in an interview with Firstonline, Harvard professor Niall Ferguson also went so far as to deem it appropriate to have Monti bis at any cost, even through a mandate. He was among the first to express himself in favor of a Monti bis yesterday Enrico Tommaso Cucchiani, managing director of Intesa Sanpaolo, who returned to the topic today on the sidelines of the Ambrosetti conference in an interview with Firstonline. “It is quite clear that there are elections and voters – Cucchiani explained – but downstream of the electoral process whoever emerges victorious should have the good sense to incorporate Monti. It is the most logical solution. There is a job that needs to be completed, which has a strong technical component and requires a bitter medicine. Monti has capital of international credibility that is difficult to replicate and today there is a discount on the spread linked to this president”.
