Outgoing Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti on Sunday said he will not support a political party in the upcoming February election and not taking part in the race but would consider if he found support for his reform program.
Mario Monti resigned on Friday after Parliament passed 2013 budget. Monti’s resignation comes a couple of months ahead of the end of his term after after his technocrat government lost the support of Silvio Berlusconi`s centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party.
Italian President Georgio Napolitano dissolved the parliament following the caretaker government’s resignation paving the way for an election on the 24 and 25 of February.
Monti who will remain in office as a caretaker prime minister until the February election unwound the uncertainty over his political future in the end-year news conference on Sunday; although Monti did not announce running in the February election.
The former EU-commissioner left the door open and did not end the uncertainty, and said would back parties supporting his reform agenda. Monti clearly left the door open amid calls from various parties for him to stay another term; "If a credible political force asked me to be candidate as prime minister for them, I would consider it" Monti said.
Mario Monti was appointed in November 2011 to head an unelected technocrat government to save Italy from a worsening crisis. Mired in recession and suffering the pressure of the debt crisis and political unrest Monti stepped up after former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi`s government resigned.
Monti who left the door open for the February race urged Italian parties to follow with reform and to follow on the footsteps of his government that saved Italy out of the depth of the financial crisis; "that financial emergency has been overcome," he said "Italians can once again hold their heads high as citizens of Europe."
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