The failure of Mezzogiorno. European Commissioner Mario Monti's reminder of the obligation placed on Member States to respect, even in electoral promises, budgetary discipline (see this section in yesterday's EUROPE) is accompanied by considerations on another fundamental aspect of European activity: regional policy and its effectiveness. Basing himself on the case of Italy's Mezzogiorno, he vigorously disputes the purely "quantitative" theses, stressing that other elements have greater...