Monti Frontrunner to Inherit Berlusconi Task to Revamp Italy

Mario Monti, a former European Union competition chief, once told companies like Microsoft Corp. what to do. As Italy’s next premier, he would face a tougher task getting Italians to overhaul the region’s third-biggest economy.

A 68-year-old adviser for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Monti is a leading candidate to take over from Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi should the world’s fourth most-indebted country turn to a new government with broad support to tame the debt crisis. Berlusconi has pledged to resign as soon as parliament approves budget measures pledged to the EU. The Senate passed the bill today in Rome and the Chamber of Deputies will vote tomorrow.