I am certain that most Germans have instinctive liking for Italy, just as Italians admire Germans for their many qualities.

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.

Growth in any individual European country has to be the result of policies for growth pursued in that country consistent with budgetary discipline.

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.

Reference to the territory and total disregard for the nationality of the companies is of course the best guarantee that competition assessment remain just that and doesn't get affected by trade or other considerations.

As to the question of elected or not elected, each member of the European Commission has been appointed jointly by the governments of the 15 member states, and undergone individual scrutiny and a vote of confidence from the European Parliament.

In the area of macroeconomic policies, I think we'll see more centralization, like in the budgetary sphere.