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

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 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.

I believe that reforms will not really take hold if they do not gradually come into the culture of the people.

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.

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