Prime Minister Mario Monti may have saved Italy from ruinous default but the growth potential of Europe's most sluggish economy is as weak as ever, and that means prospects for lasting debt reduction remain fragile. Thanks to his decisive austerity measures and personal credibility, the economist and former European commissioner has put Italy back at the centre of European decision making and helped to lower its borrowing costs. Yet only by boosting its growth potential -- the ability to grow consistently without generating inflation -- can he hope to lower a debt pile of more than 120 percent of output, second only ... (full story)