By Martin Banks - 22nd November 2011
His wide economic experience will serve Italy and the EU well
Jerzy Buzek
European parliament president Jerzy Buzek says "no effort should be spared" to contain the sovereign debt crisis gripping much of the eurozone.
His comments came during a telephone conversation with new Italian prime minister Mario Monti on Monday.
Buzek said, "I congratulated Monti for winning an overwhelming support in a vote of confidence in the Italian parliament."
An official foreign trip prevented Buzek from meeting Monti on Tuesday when he visited Brussels.
The Polish MEP said he and Monti discussed the economic situation in Italy and the eurozone, adding, "We share a belief that no effort should be spared to contain the sovereign debt crisis and ensure the stability of the euro area."
Buzek added, "I am confident that Monti will do his upmost to improve Italy's fiscal position and push ahead with structural reforms that will put Italy firmly on the path of sustainable economic growth.
"To achieve that, Monti will need broad parliamentary support."
He said Monti's plans to boost employment, reduce state spending and overhaul the labour market "bode well" for the future of the Italian economy.
He added, "Monti had met major challenges in the past as a European commissioner. His wide economic experience will serve Italy and the EU well."
The former EU commissioner is gearing up for a critical first full week in office with meetings planned with key EU officials to map out strategy for dealing with Italy's debt crisis.
Monti presided over his first working cabinet meeting on Monday after his new government won parliamentary backing last week to try to rein in Italy's high debt and boost economic growth.
On Tuesday, he headed to Brussels for a first meeting with European commission president José Manuel Barroso and European council president Herman Van Rompuy.
On Thursday, he is due to join German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Nicholas Sarkozy in Strasbourg for what Monti has said will be a permanent club of the eurozone's three largest economies to confront the debt crisis.
