Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti warned European policymakers against dividing the region in their pursuit of a solution to the debt crisis.
Speaking at a conference in Rome, Monti took aim at Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, saying that a solution to the problem does not lie in a "short-term hunger for rigor"—a reference to Merkel's sustained push for austerity measures and punishment for nations that do not stick to cost-cutting.
In a Friday Reuters report, Monti told attendees that Europe's handling of the debt crisis "should be wrapped in a long-term sustainable approach, not just to feed short-term hunger for rigor in some countries."
