Italian prime minister Mario Monti’s unelected government, increasingly bogged down by the demands of its political backers, will seek to pass new measures this week to foster growth and press its reform agenda, the industry minister said yesterday.
With some polls showing Mr Monti’s popularity dipping below 50 per cent for the first time since he took power in November, the premier is seeking to revitalise his mandate to save the country from default.
“This is the toughest hour,” industry minister Corrado Passera said in an interview with state TV. The recession, tax increases and the lack of a co-ordinated European response were all hitting households at once, Mr Passera said. “There’s no magic wand for growth. There’s no big idea. We have to fix everything.” – (Reuters)