Italy's PM resigns, paving way for early election

 ROME, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti resigned on Friday after parliament gave final approval to the 2013 budget law.

The 69-year-old economist¹ handed in his formal resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano, who is expected to call early national elections within 70 days of the parliament dissolution, possibly on Feb. 24.

In the lapse² of time between Monti's resignation and the vote, the caretaker government remains³ in office only to take care of ordinary administration.

Earlier this month, he had announced early resignation after losing support of former premier⁴ Silvio Berlusconi's center-right People of Freedom (PdL) party, the biggest group in parliament.

"The President of the Republic took note of the resignation and called on the government to remain in office for the ordinary administration," a statement from the presidential office said late on Friday.

It added that Napolitano will hold consultations⁵ on Saturday with parliamentary and party leaders before he dissolves parliament, likely at the weekend, and sends Italians to the polls, probably on Feb. 24.

Speaking to a meeting of ambassadors in Rome, Monti said on Friday that his 13-month office was "difficult but fascinating" and "the situation of Europe and the eurozone has greatly improved, also thanks to Italy."

Monti said he had appreciated that "growth was seen not only in economic terms, but was also regarding the increased authority and credibility of Italy at the international level."

His unelected government has managed to steer⁶ the Mediterranean⁷ country away from the center of the eurozone crisis through introducing a range of painful austerity measures to tackle huge public debt.

European business communities and partners have increasingly pressured the resigning premier to take the field over the past weeks, but he has kept his own programs a secret.

Monti is set to hold a press conference on Sunday and announce his decision. He is supposed to endorse⁸ a coalition⁹ of centrist moderate figures or present a program that the next government should pursue to follow up with his austerity policies.

According to local analysts¹⁰, entering the electoral campaign could force the center-left Democratic Party (PD), which has held a strong lead in the opinion polls for months, to seek a coalition deal to outline the Italian economic agenda.

The PD has promised to maintain the "agenda" of deficit¹¹ reduction targets that Monti has agreed with the European Union while implementing¹² more growth-oriented policies to revive the recession-hit economy.

Berlusconi, who is set for a comeback after changing his mind several times on whether to run for a fifth mandate¹³, has added to the uncertainty¹⁴ of the Italian political picture.

The media tycoon¹⁵ has intensively campaigned on television over the past days, claiming that Monti risked losing the credibility he has gained and becoming a "little political figure".

Born in 1943 in Varese, a city of northern Italy, Monti graduated from Bocconi University of Milan and studied at Yale University in the United States.

He had been an economics professor and rector at Bocconi University before serving as European Commissioner¹⁶ from 1995 to 2004.

1 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

2 lapse   

n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效

参考例句：

• The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.这一事故被看作是一次严重的安全疏忽。
• I had a lapse of memory.我记错了。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

5 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

7 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

8 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

12 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

13 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

14 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

15 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

16 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。