'I’m not returning to politics': Mario Monti
Italy’s former prime minister, Mario Monti, has said he has no intention of returning to politics after he was linked to the ruling Democratic Party.
Monti, dubbed ‘Super Mario’ for saving Italy from collapse in 2011, said he “does not have a vocation or a mission to do politics”, according to a report on the Italian news website, The Blazoned Press.
The 71-year-old retired from politics in October last year after quitting Civic Choice, the party he founded in the run-up to the 2013 general elections.
On the subject of Europe, he was quoted as saying that Italy needed to be more assertive in the EU, and "should look to get more responsibilities" rather than settling for those laid down by Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank.
The former European commissioner was appointed as a technocrat prime minister in late 2011 by President Giorgio Napoletano to replace Silvio Berlusconi.
However, his tax increases, which salvaged Italy’s finances but plunged the country deeper into recession, embittered the Italian electorate, causing allegiance to Civic Choice, which was the third biggest party in the coalition formed by successor Enrico Letta, to dwindle.
Monti quit Civic Choice after criticizing the policies of Letta. The party supported new Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's cabinet, which was appointed in February.
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Monti, dubbed ‘Super Mario’ for saving Italy from collapse in 2011, said he “does not have a vocation or a mission to do politics”, according to a report on the Italian news website, The Blazoned Press.
The 71-year-old retired from politics in October last year after quitting Civic Choice, the party he founded in the run-up to the 2013 general elections.
On the subject of Europe, he was quoted as saying that Italy needed to be more assertive in the EU, and "should look to get more responsibilities" rather than settling for those laid down by Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank.
The former European commissioner was appointed as a technocrat prime minister in late 2011 by President Giorgio Napoletano to replace Silvio Berlusconi.
However, his tax increases, which salvaged Italy’s finances but plunged the country deeper into recession, embittered the Italian electorate, causing allegiance to Civic Choice, which was the third biggest party in the coalition formed by successor Enrico Letta, to dwindle.
Monti quit Civic Choice after criticizing the policies of Letta. The party supported new Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's cabinet, which was appointed in February.
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