Brussels, 05/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - Forza Italia MEP Giacomo Santini asserted in a press statement that "here in Brussels we can observe an overall astonishment and ferocious criticism of president Prodi's behaviour and his admission of participating in the Ulivo campaign in the forthcoming European elections". According to Santini, the European Commission is "totally discredited by the behaviour of its president but also by the premature departures of certain Commissioners". In connection with the risk that the Commission will be warning Italy over its excessive deficit on Wednesday, Santini affirmed that "it is clear that Prodi will no longer be able to take action against Italy without creating significant suspicion, political speculation and electoral propaganda" (See p 10 on the informal Ecofin Council in Kildare where Giulio Trementi said that "We get the impression, which does have some foundation to it, that the Commission has run out of political inspiration". We are in the middle of our work with the large nations while waiting for a new Commission". Speaking in Turin, Romano Prodi replied in a reference to the Stability Pact, "accounts are accounts and laws are laws".
Santini highlighted that the most logical solution would be the following: 1) Prodi resigns and takes part in the election campaign in total freedom in Italy, even as a candidate in the European elections; 2) Commissioner Mario Monit assumes control of the presidency on a temporary basis to manage ordinary matters and leads the Commission through the transitional phase up to October.