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

Europe has to avoid old prejudices and new ones. That means north versus south, rich versus poor.

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.

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.

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

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