The Italian Economy Has Been Held Back

There Is No Government In Europe Where Ministers Go Through That Kind Of Confirmation Process, Which In Fact Is Modeled On The Way The U.s. Cabinet Members Are Confirmed.

Reference To The Territory And Total Disregard For The Nationality Of The Companies Is Of Course The Best Guarantee That Competition Assessment Remain Just That And Doesn't Get Affected By Trade Or Other Considerations.

This Is Certainly Not The First Case In Which A Merger Approved In One Place Hasn't Gone Through In The Other. There Was A Case Last Year Where The Merger Between Two Eu Companies Was Approved Here And Blocked In The U.s.

If Governments Let Themselves Be Fully Bound By The Decisions Of Their Parliaments Without Protecting Their Own Freedom To Act, A Breakup Of Europe Would Be A More Probable Outcome Than Deeper Integration.

It Is Rather Unusual For Italy To Be At The Forefront Of Pro-market Initiatives.