MADRID, Nov 20 (Reuters) – The opposition People’s
Party (PP) won a crushing victory in Spain’s election on Sunday
as voters vented their rage on the ruling Socialists for the
worst economic crisis in generations.

The Socialists conceded a humiliating defeat as official
results showed the PP projected to take an absolute majority of
187 seats in the 350-seat lower house, with 78 percent of votes
counted.

ROME (Reuters) – Mario Monti formed a new technocrat government in Italy on Wednesday to tackle a major debt crisis threatening the entire euro zone and said he hoped it would placate financial markets.

President Giorgio Napolitano swore in a 16-member government, including three women, at his palace on Wednesday afternoon, ending a chaotic political crisis that has placed Italy at the centre of the euro zone’s burgeoning problems.

ROME, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Mario Monti formed a new
technocrat government in Italy on Wednesday to tackle a major
debt crisis threatening the entire euro zone and said he hoped
it would placate financial markets.

Officials said the new 16-member government, including three
women and announced by Monti at the presidential palace in Rome,
would be sworn in at 5 p.m. (1600 GMT).

ROME (Reuters) – Prime Minister-designate Mario Monti raced to assemble a new government for Italy on Tuesday while a sharp rise in French borrowing costs raised fears that the two-year debt crisis may spread to the euro zone’s second biggest economy.

European shares and the euro fell on Tuesday as investors renewed selling of Italian and Spanish bonds and any relief from having new leaders in Italy and Greece proved short-lived with investors seeking safe-haven assets like German bonds.

ROME (Reuters) – Prime Minister-designate Mario Monti meets the leaders of Italy’s biggest two parties on Tuesday to discuss the “many sacrifices” needed to reverse a collapse in market confidence that is driving an ever deepening euro zone debt crisis.

Global equity markets and the euro slid Monday on doubts Monti and Greece’s new leader would take the tough steps needed, and a report said the situation in triple-A rated euro zone power France should be “ringing euro zone alarm bells.”

ROME, Nov 15 (Reuters) – Prime Minister-designate
Mario Monti meets the leaders of Italy’s biggest two parties on
Tuesday to discuss the “many sacrifices” needed to reverse a
collapse in market confidence that is driving an ever deepening
euro zone debt crisis.

Global equity markets and the euro slid on Monday on doubts
Monti and Greece’s new leader would take the tough steps needed,
and a report said the situation in triple-A rated euro zone
power France should be “ringing euro zone alarm bells”.

ROME (Reuters) – The fall of Silvio Berlusconi, driven from power to the jeers of hostile demonstrators, is likely to trigger a major political upheaval in Italy like the one that brought him to power 17 years ago.

But while the ignominious end of the flamboyant media magnate, who was harried by crowds yelling “clown” when he resigned on Saturday, undoubtedly marks a turning point, what will follow is still deeply uncertain.

ROME (Reuters) – The fall of Silvio Berlusconi, driven from power to the jeers of hostile demonstrators, is likely to trigger a major political upheaval in Italy like the one that brought him to power 17 years ago.

But while the ignominious end of the flamboyant media magnate, who was harried by crowds yelling “clown” when he resigned on Saturday, undoubtedly marks a turning point, what will follow is still deeply uncertain.

ROME, Nov 14 (Reuters) – Former European Commissioner
Mario Monti began preparations on Monday to form a new
technocrat government to restore market confidence in Italy’s
battered public finances after accepting a mandate to succeed
Silvio Berlusconi.

In a frenetic weekend of political activity, Italy’s
parliament approved a package of economic reforms agreed with
European leaders, Berlusconi resigned and President Giorgio
Napolitano appointed Monti, a respected international figure as
head of a new government.

ROME (Reuters) – Silvio Berlusconi dominated Italy for 17 years with a unique mix of political talent and brazen behaviour but in the end the born showman was humiliatingly jeered from office, brought down by pressure from abroad.

A man who had rejoiced in his ability to talk directly to ordinary Italians looked pale and isolated as he was forced to resign on Saturday after his broken promises and crumbling power brought Italy to the brink of financial disaster.