Competition
Monti (55) was Commissioner for Internal Market in the outgoing Commission. An economist, rector and then president of Milan university since 1989, Monti takes over the portfolio upon which Peter Sutherland made his mark by forcing through the deregulation of Europe's airways. If Monti can attack restrictive practices and cartels that only lead to higher prices for the consumer, he will be one of Mr Prodi's people's champions.
In his previous role, however, he piloted through the abolition of duty free: a logical development, perhaps, but not one to cast him as the people's hero. An independent economic adviser expert to several Italian governments, the competition portfolio is regarded as one of the most powerful and important posts in the new Commission.