Fabrizio Viola, chief executive of Monte dei Paschi who was brought into the bank to turn it round a year ago, said on Monday he thought the acquisition of Antonveneta was "expensive" but he had seen no evidence of bribes being paid to secure the deal, a suggestion put forward by prosecutors.

CNN: Draghi meets minister over MPS problems

And a suggestion that you put forward, that Republican obstructionism was less fervent a few months ago than it is now, is a novel reimagining of recent history.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

And a suggestion that revenue twice the size of what the President put forward would somehow be agreeable to Republicans, I find pretty interesting.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

The proposals for labour-market reform put forward in the summer at the government's suggestion by Peter Hartz, a senior Volkswagen man, are a test of the new government's determination to enact painful structural reforms.

ECONOMIST: Germany's trade unions