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• Maverick French minister is a necessary nuisance for Hollande Thursday, 6 Jun 2013 | 8:33 AM ET

  PARIS, June 6- While French President Francois Hollande is at pains to repair his fraught relations with business, his industry minister has other ideas- or so many entrepreneurs and even some government colleagues believe.

• Italy's ruling party divided over order for F-35 combat jets Thursday, 30 May 2013 | 11:57 AM ET

  ROME, May 30- Italian opposition parties and some lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party called on the government on Thursday to abandon its plans to buy 90 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets.

• ANALYSIS-Europe's austerity-to-growth shift largely semantic Monday, 27 May 2013 | 4:00 PM ET

  PARIS, May 27- To listen to some European leaders, especially in France, you would think the era of austerity was over and the euro zone was going full steam ahead to revive economic growth.

• Italy Came to Brink Before Being Saved by 'King George' Tuesday, 7 May 2013 | 5:51 AM ET

  

  Napolitano rescued Italy in 2011 by replacing Berlusconi with technocrat Mario Monti. Italy's fate once again depends on the man affectionately known as "King George."

• INSIGHT-Italy came to brink before being saved by "King George" Tuesday, 7 May 2013 | 2:00 AM ET

  ROME, May 7- On Saturday April 20, the leaders of Italy's two biggest political forces climbed the Quirinal, highest of Rome's seven ancient hills, and begged President Giorgio Napolitano to stay for a second term.

• Letta says Italy can boost growth without increasing debt Monday, 6 May 2013 | 8:07 AM ET

  ROME, May 6- Italy can stage an economic recovery without increasing its huge public debt, Prime Minister Enrico Letta said on Monday ahead of a meeting with his Spanish counterpart where he hoped to find support for his calls for a policy switch in Europe.

• UPDATE 1-Italy's Letta wins French backing for focus on growth Wednesday, 1 May 2013 | 2:19 PM ET

  ROME, May 1- Italy's new Prime Minister Enrico Letta won French backing on Wednesday for calls to spur economic growth alongside budget rigor, but problems lay closer to home with coalition partners demanding tax cuts that would blow a hole in the budget.

• Italy's Letta faces early squeeze over anti-austerity drive Wednesday, 1 May 2013 | 8:53 AM ET

  ROME, May 1- Italy's new prime minister, Enrico Letta, is preaching an end to austerity while pledging to meet European Union debt targets and his fledgling coalition is already at odds over how to pay for cuts to an unpopular housing tax.

• UPDATE 2-Italy's Letta launches government with call for growth Monday, 29 Apr 2013 | 11:04 AM ET

  Plans visit to Brussels, Paris, Berlin this week. ROME, April 29- Italy's new Prime Minister Enrico Letta pledged to push for a change to the European Union's focus on austerity and pursue growth and jobs in an inaugural speech on Monday laying out the priorities for his coalition government.

• UPDATE 6-Two policemen shot as new Italy government sworn in Sunday, 28 Apr 2013 | 2:48 PM ET

  ROME, April 28- Enrico Letta was sworn in as Italy's new prime minister on Sunday and immediately faced an emergency after an unemployed man shot two police officers outside his office. The 49- year-old gunman, from the poor southern region of Calabria, told investigators he had planned to attack politicians but had found none within range.

• UPDATE 2-Differences with centre-right delay Italy's Letta Thursday, 25 Apr 2013 | 2:43 PM ET

  ROME, April 25- Italy's prime minister-designate Enrico Letta started "encouraging" talks on Thursday for a new government to end two months of political deadlock, but said significant differences with the centre-right would take more time to iron out.

• UPDATE 1-Letta sees improving chances of forming Italy government Thursday, 25 Apr 2013 | 9:01 AM ET

  ROME, April 25- Prime Minister-designate Enrico Letta saw "improving" chances of success as he began negotiations on Thursday to form a new government and end a nearly two-month-old stalemate in the euro zone's third-largest economy.

• Italy should ask for more room on deficit -OECD Thursday, 25 Apr 2013 | 3:30 AM ET

  MILAN, April 25- Italy is now in a position to ask the European Union to ease up on the country's deficit target, according to Pier Carlo Padoan, chief economist at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

• COLUMN-Market euphoria misreads the signals from Brussels and Rome: Kaletsky Thursday, 25 Apr 2013 | 12:32 AM ET

  A classic case was the slump on Wall Street after last November's election in the United States. This week's market action in Europe may offer an even clearer example of market confusion about two fascinating but byzantine political entities- the Italian government and the European Central Bank.

• ANALYSIS-Italy crisis close to an end but problems not over Wednesday, 24 Apr 2013 | 11:35 AM ET

  ROME, April 24- Months of paralysing political deadlock seem close to an end in Italy with a new government possible by early next week, but there are many questions over how long the stability can last.

• EURO GOVT-Italian 10-year yields rise on fresh coalition doubts Wednesday, 24 Apr 2013 | 8:02 AM ET

  LONDON, April 24- Italian 10- year bond yields rose on Wednesday as political uncertainty resurfaced after centre-right officials said they would only back a new government if it scrapped a housing tax brought in by outgoing premier Mario Monti.

• Italy's President Invites Letta to Form Government Wednesday, 24 Apr 2013 | 7:03 AM ET

  

  President Giorgio Napolitano has given Enrico Letta, deputy head of the center-left Democratic Party (PD), a mandate to try to form a new government, according to news wires on Wednesday.

• UPDATE 1-Italy president set to announce choice for prime minister Wednesday, 24 Apr 2013 | 4:40 AM ET

  *Democratic Party fractured after factional infighting. ROME, April 24- Italian President Giorgio Napolitano was set to name a new premier on Wednesday with Enrico Letta, deputy head of the centre-left Democratic Party, and veteran politician Giuliano Amato seen as front runners to head a grand coalition.

• Italy president set to announce choice for prime minister Tuesday, 23 Apr 2013 | 6:05 PM ET

  ROME, April 24- Italy's president Giorgio Napolitano is set to announce on Wednesday his choice of prime minister to form a new government and pull the euro zone's third largest economy out of a two-month political rut.

• UPDATE 5-Italy president ends talks, seen naming PM Wednesday Tuesday, 23 Apr 2013 | 5:12 PM ET

  ROME, April 23- President Giorgio Napolitano completed a rapid round of talks with Italy's parties and is expected to name a new prime minister on Wednesday, ending a stalemate since February's inconclusive election.