Mario Monti quotes

Mario Monti is an Italian economist, academic, and public servant who became widely known for his role as Prime Minister of Italy. His expertise in economics and his technocratic approach guided Italy through a challenging period during the Eurozone crisis. He has also served as a European Commissioner and remains influential in European policy debates. Here are 27 of his quotes:

The two greatest priorities for my government are tackling tax evasion and corruption. (Mario Monti)
I am certain that most Germans have instinctive liking for Italy, just as Italians admire Germans for their many qualities. View quote
Mario Monti
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. View quote
Mario Monti
My aspiration is not to be loved. It is that my government be respected and credible. View quote
Mario Monti
I believe that reforms will not really take hold if they do not gradually come into the culture of the people. View quote
Mario Monti
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. View quote
Mario Monti
The Italian economy has been held back for decades. View quote
Mario Monti
Growth in any individual European country has to be the result of policies for growth pursued in that country consistent with budgetary discipline. View quote
Mario Monti
I believe that in Europe, we have a collective leadership. View quote
Mario Monti
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. View quote
Mario Monti
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. (Mario Monti)
It is very unusual for a country to ask guys who are not politicians to come and run the country. View quote
Mario Monti
Italy even in the future will not need aid from the European Financial Stability Fund. View quote
Mario Monti
Europe has to avoid old prejudices and new ones. That means north versus south, rich versus poor. View quote
Mario Monti
It is rather unusual for Italy to be at the forefront of pro-market initiatives. View quote
Mario Monti
Not all Greeks are ready to do whatever is necessary to stay in the euro. View quote
Mario Monti
In the area of macroeconomic policies, I think we'll see more centralization, like in the budgetary sphere. View quote
Mario Monti
I hope that my government can help change Italian mentality. View quote
Mario Monti
Italy needed structural reforms to become more competitive. View quote
Mario Monti
There was in Italy a hidden demand for a boring government which would try to tell the truth in non-political jargon. View quote
Mario Monti
As to the question of elected or not elected, each member of the European Commission has been appointed jointly by the governments of the 15 member states, and undergone individual scrutiny and a vote of confidence from the European Parliament. (Mario Monti)
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. View quote
Mario Monti
The absence of political personalities in the government will help rather than hinder a solid base of support for the government in parliament and in the political parties because it will remove one ground for disagreement. View quote
Mario Monti
I know this isn't a widespread view in the Anglo Saxon world, but I believe that much of the reconciliation between more centralized governance and the scope for democracy - democratic control - will be resolved through an even stronger role of the European Parliament. View quote
Mario Monti
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. View quote
Mario Monti

Mario Monti

Mario Monti - Image
Photo: Niccolò Caranti, CC BY-SA 3.0
Occupation: Italian Public Servant
Born: March 19, 1943
Quotes count: 27