Monti ally: If we lose, we back reformists only

Economy January 23, 2013

Monti ally: If we lose, we back reformists only

Photo: AP Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti delivers his speech during a "Scelta Civica, con Monti per l'Italia" party's candidates meeting in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. Milan daily Corriere della Sera, whose editor-in-chief interviewed Monti for Sunday's edition, said that the outgoing premier was considering modifying some of the labor reforms. Asked about reports that he might soften the measure that made it easier to fire workers, Monti would only say that "for now, nothing had been decided." In the interview, Monti said his candidacy tapped into the public's "intolerance" with the ruling class. On Sunday, during an appearance in the northern city of Bergamo, Monti presented his candidates for parliamentary seats, including many neophytes to politics, such as mid-level businessmen and leaders of volunteer groups.

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ROME (AP) — Italian Premier Mario Monti's ally has signaled the leader could be a political spoiler by refusing to back any election winner who doesn't pledge to achieve Monti's economic reforms.

The frontrunner in the polls is center-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani, whose party is ahead of media mogul Silvio Berlusconi's forces. But neither man seems poised to get more than the 50 percent needed to govern outright, meaning the top winner would likely need Monti's centrists to form a coalition.

Monti supporter Pier Ferdinando Casini said Wednesday that 20 percent of the vote would be a "satisfactory" result for his party. But he says Bersani would have to support Monti's economic goals and break with a leftist ally who wants to legalize gay marriage to get his backing.

Casini didn't say if Monti could back a Berlusconi government.

Subjects
- General news,
- Government and politics,
- Economy,
- Business
People
- Mario Monti,
- Silvio Berlusconi
Locations
- Italy,
- Western Europe,
- Europe

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