Economics
Monti May Press Merkel, Sarkozy on Budget Goals Amid Slump
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Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti may press German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to ease euro-area budget goals and assist growth as Europe’s economy comes to a standstill.
Monti, whose non-elected government was sworn in last week, said he’s been asked to bring “new ideas” to today’s talks over lunch in Strasbourg, France, which will be followed by a news conference scheduled for 2 p.m. Paris time. Monti, a former European commissioner, has pledged to pair economic growth with fiscal rigor to shield the region’s second-most indebted nation after Greece from the financial crisis.