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.

I have the most profound respect for the Department of Justice and the FTC. We in Europe are a younger and I would say junior institution to the historical antitrust experience of the US.

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.

I know that speaking with parties, which I do, but not very often, is seen by many as a contamination.

The Italian economy has been held back for decades.