Brussels, 22/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 22 December, the head of the Italian government, Mario Monti, insisted on the need for European countries to go beyond austerity and do more to create growth.
Whilst addressing senators, who had just adopted the austerity plan that will enable Italy to reach a balanced budget in 2013, he insisted that “there is no growth without financial rules, there is no stability if the accounts are not in order but this is not sufficient”.
Monti said that “the choices of all members of the European Union as a whole must pursue the objective of sustainable growth, employment and cohesion”. He promised that “we will take very robust action to change Europe”. “This will be our next major commitment, following this demonstration of comprehensive discipline across the board”, which Italy has provided by adopting a new austerity plan, the third since the summer. The former European commissioner also stated that “a more Community Europe, in which member states are committed to respecting binding rules and being subject to common controls, must also demonstrate greater solidarity and closer reflect the needs of citizens”. He also explained that “this should not be or even appear cold and insensitive to the needs of society, families or, above all, young people in all the different member states”. During the last European Council, European countries, with the exception of the United Kingdom, agreed to an intergovernmental agreement to strengthen budgetary discipline in the eurozone. Negotiations on this text are expected to be finished by the end of January, which will coincide with the next European Council (30 January). The signing of the agreement is planned for the beginning of March. (LC/transl.fl)