Mario Monti—Italy’s outgoing prime minister—may also be Italy’s incoming prime minister. And if he is voted into office, Monti will owe a lot of his success to the Vatican.
Monti succeeded Silvio Berlusconi in November of last year, but he was appointed by the president, not elected by the people. Since then, he has led a technocratic government that has focused on economic reform. However, Berlusconi’s party withdrew its support for him, and Monti resigned last Friday. He remains in office as a caretaker until Italy holds its elections in February. The prime minister said that he will not run for office, but that he might be willing to lead the new government if it invites him to. If that happens, Monti could once again win the office without worrying about a campaign or an election.
