A lot of the American press at the time was saying 'just watch what happens when Bertelsmann tries to buy EMI, that will be a moment of truth that will show the Commission's true colors.' Well, that deal never happened either.

I hope that my government can help change Italian mentality.

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

Italy needed structural reforms to become more competitive.

The two greatest priorities for my government are tackling tax evasion and corruption.

If the euro becomes a factor promoting Europe's drifting apart, then the foundation of the European project is destroyed.

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.