Silvio Berlusconi: Mario Monti too 'servile' to Germany Monti "started out well... but unfortunately just at the moment when both austerity and growth were needed, the left conditioned Monti's government," Berlusconi told the newly-launched Italian edition of The Huffington Post. Allies in his People of Freedom party, which has performed badly in local elections and is riven by infighting, have asked that the 75-year-old Berlusconi return to lead the party in a general election next year. Berlusconi said the main centre-left Democratic Party had effectively "vetoed" a root-and-branch reform of the labour market. "We would have wanted more courage," Berlusconi said. But he also said he did not believe it would be a mistake to consider Monti a possible candidate in the upcoming elections even though the economics professor has consistently said he intends to step down next year. No it would not be a mistake but to be a candidate you first have to present your candidacy. Let's wait and see," he said.