I believe that reforms will not really take hold if they do not gradually come into the culture of the people.
This is certainly not the first case in which a merger approved in one place hasn't gone through in the other. There was a case last year where the merger between two EU companies was approved here and blocked in the U.S.
If governments let themselves be fully bound by the decisions of their parliaments without protecting their own freedom to act, a breakup of Europe would be a more probable outcome than deeper integration.
Try to guess my answer to that question, however temptingly you pose it.
There is no government in Europe where ministers go through that kind of confirmation process, which in fact is modeled on the way the U.S. cabinet members are confirmed.
Much of what Germany and France have done in the rescue of Greece has also helped German and French banks, who for a long time were major creditors for Greece and Greek banks.
I hope that my government can help change Italian mentality.
I know that speaking with parties, which I do, but not very often, is seen by many as a 'contamination.'
If Spain goes under, Italy will come under even more scrutiny.
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.
What will growth policy have to look like in a fiscally compacted Europe? Clearly any illusion of budget stimulated growth policy will have to go away.
I know this isn't a widespread view in the Anglo Saxon world, but I believe that much of the reconciliation between more centralized governance and the scope for democracy - democratic control - will be resolved through an even stronger role of the European Parliament.
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.
It is rather unusual for Italy to be at the forefront of pro-market initiatives.
Growth in any individual European country has to be the result of policies for growth pursued in that country consistent with budgetary discipline.
The two greatest priorities for my government are tackling tax evasion and corruption.
Europe has to avoid old prejudices and new ones. That means north versus south, rich versus poor.
All I am saying is I will be a senator - should there be any special circumstance where the political forces would believe that there might be a need for my service, I would consider it.
Not all Greeks are ready to do whatever is necessary to stay in the euro.
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.
