That whole era is gone for good and not many people will regret its passing.

We don't see any change this year. Economic indicators seem to suggest there will be no change in interest rates in the short term.

He certainly has political aspirations, and I don't think it will be the end of his career if the center-right loses. He will play an important role in the future of Italian politics.

There are a number of countries that are increasingly uneasy about competitive pressures coming from Asia, and the softening of domestic industry.

We believe that the long-awaited shift from soft to hard data is evidence of a recovery in euro zone private consumption has started, and will likely proceed gradually and modestly over the coming months, in line with the expected improvement in household real disposable income.

The main message here is that the recovery is becoming more fragmented. (But) we should not be misled by a few bad numbers. The conditions are in place for some recovery in the first part of this year.