Brussels, 06/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - Mario Monti, who is in his second mandate as a European Commissioner, indicated on Tuesday, during the meeting of the European Popular Party (EPP) in Budapest that, "if the Italian government and the president elect of the future Commission ask me to continue to serve the Commission, I am ready to do so". He added that, "I explained to the Italian prime minister the reasons for which my preference, if possible, will be for a continued commitment at a European level and he totally understood and respected this". At the request of José Manuel Barroso, the president elect of the future Commission, Mario Monti went to Lisbon on Monday for an exchange of views on the next Commission, reports Ansa. For the instant, Mr Berlusconi appears to have decided to combine his post of prime minister with that of the minister of the economy.