"For Italy it is the moment of truth". Thus spoke the President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy, speaking at a conference in Brussels. Van Rompuy said he knows "very well" the prime minister-designate Mario Monti, whose goals are to combine budget austerity and pro-growth measures.
Europe "awaits" anxiously for Italy to form a new government, Amadeu Altafaj, Rehn's spokesman, also hinted very clearly. The EU, he said, "does not comment on what is happening in Italy" at the political level, but "we are waiting for Monti to form a government to be able to start working with his team". Rehn's spokesman recalled the delicacy of the moment, emphasizing how our country is called to face "great challenges", which Italy will necessarily have to take on.
The message sent to the Italian institutional interlocutors is clear: "The ball is now in Monti's field, it's up to him to play it," Altafaj said using a footballing expression. However, he concluded, the orientation of the European Commission does not change. “The measures contained in the letter must be implemented,” he reiterated.
