Italy's Monti quits party as budget opposition mounts

ROME (Reuters) - Former Prime Minister Mario Monti on Thursday left the party he founded this year as political tensions over Italy's 2014 budget raised a new threat to the stability of Enrico Letta's government.

Italy center-left ally says EU must loosen budget rules

ROME (Reuters) - A leading member of Italy's center-left coalition, frontrunner in polls for this weekend's election, said on Thursday the country should seek revisions of European Union budget rules.

Monti Says Italy Seeks Stability

CERNOBBIO, Italy—Mario Monti, the technocrat drafted to save Italy from insolvency, on Sunday inched closer to signaling he would be open to remaining prime minister of the euro zone's third-largest economy after elections next year.

Italy's Mario Monti calls on EU to bring down borrowing costs

ROME: Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti called Tuesday on the European Union to recognise efforts made by countries to overcome the economic crisis by moving to bring down punishing borrowing costs.

Don't let euro zone debate turn nasty: German foreign min

(Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Monday warned politicians to rein in the language they use about the euro zone debt crisis after a weekend of ugly exchanges in the German press over Italy and Greece.

Italy plays down prospects it will tap EU rescue funds

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy does not at the moment need to ask the euro zone's rescue funds to buy its government bonds in the markets to bring down borrowing costs, Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco and Cabinet Undersecretary Antonio Catricala said on Sunday.

Merkel tells Italy benefits of reforms take time

ROME (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Italians on Wednesday they could not expect to reap the rewards of economic reforms in just a few months but that the experience of her own country showed it was worth persevering.

Greek, Italian Bonds Slide as Bunds Have Best Year Since 2008

Dec. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Greek and Italian government bonds had their worst years on record as Europe’s financial woes intensified, driving investors to sell securities of Europe’s most indebted nations.