Monti takes office, Berlusconi bitter

Published on 18 November 2011 at 14:29

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“Pensions, property tax and labour: Monti’s plan”, leads Corriere della Sera, summarising the new PM’s Novermber 17 speech to the Senate. Mario Monti’s team of technocratic ministers won confidence from both houses of parliament, with only the secessionist Northern League voting against.

In his 17 November speech Monti admitted the need for another austerity budget that could be worth around 11 billion euros. “As a free-marketist and advocate of open society, Monti chose to dedicate his government to young and women — whose marginality constitutes a huge waste of resources and an obstacle to growth — and to reduce inequities in the labor market”, reads Corriere’s editorial.

“But he cannot ignore the former majority”, whose parliamentary support he needs and which is refusing to consider the reintroduction of property tax abolished in 2008. The broad consensus behind the former EU commissioner must not be taken for granted, adds Corriere, noting that after his surprisingly compliant withdrawal from power, Silvio Berlusconi betrayed anger in an address to his party’s senators in which he spoke of a “suspension of democracy” and warned that the new government will last “as long as we want it to last”.

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