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.

There was in Italy a hidden demand for a boring government which would try to tell the truth in non-political jargon.

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.

Not all Greeks are ready to do whatever is necessary to stay in the euro.

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.

It is very unusual for a country to ask guys who are not politicians to come and run the country.

Italy even in the future will not need aid from the European Financial Stability Fund.