The Eurozone Will Not Survive If Monti Fails

Is Mario Monti a good sleeper? We must hope so because he will need his wits about him in the coming months as he takes up the Herculean task of restoring confidence in Italy's stricken economy. It is no exaggeration to say that the challenges he faces are greater than any government in Rome has met since the fall of Fascism. In some ways they are greater, because in 1945, Italy's new government had only to draw a line under the Mussolini era and start afresh. Mr Monti does not have that option. The legacy of Silvio Berlusconi's disastrous handling of the nation's finances and the climate of corruption that he fostered during almost two decades in power will weigh on him throughout his time in office. At stake is not only the health of the Italian economy but the future of the eurozone.