The fact that Italy's Mario Draghi
is the president of the European Central Bank does not mean it
is impossible for another Italian to take a top European post,
former premier and European commissioner Mario Monti said
Thursday.
There has been speculation that former premier Enrico
Letta is a possibility to be the next European Commission
president, but some have said this is unlikely as it would mean
Italians taking up two top positions.
Letta's name has been mentioned as European leaders may
need to find a compromise figure to replace Josè Manuel Barroso.
This is because, while the European People's Party (EPP)
is the biggest group in the new European Parliament after
Sunday's elections, opposition is reportedly strong against the
centre-right bloc's candidate Jean-Claude Juncker.
Former Luxembourg prime minister Juncker was seen by many
as a champion of the austerity during his time as the head of
the Eurogroup and those policies that have been rejected by many
European voters, especially those who helped Euroskeptic parties
come first in Britain and France.
Indeed, British Prime Minister David Cameron is reportedly
leading efforts to stop Juncker getting the job.
"If Italy wanted to throw its weight around in Europe to
have a post, it would be politely told that you already have a
very important position with Mario Draghi," Monti told State
broadcaster Rai.
"It's not out of the question that an Italian can have
another important position, but it would have to be in the case
in which Europe were having trouble finding alternative
solutions and, therefore, it were Europe that asked for it".
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