Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti may press German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to ease euro-area budget goals and assist growth as Europeâs economy comes to a standstill. Monti, whose non-elected government was sworn in last week, said heâs been asked to bring ânew ideasâ to todayâs talks over lunch in Strasbourg, France, which will be followed by a news conference scheduled for 2 p.m. Paris time. Monti, a former European commissioner, has pledged to pair economic growth with fiscal rigor to shield the regionâs second-most indebted nation after Greece from the financial crisis. âThereâs no contradiction between rigor and growth pursued through structural reforms,â Monti said on Nov. 22 after talks in Brussels with European Commission President Jose Barroso and EU President Herman Van Rompuy. âBudgetary sustainability actually needs to be supported by greater economic growth.â http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...sarkozy-on-easing-budget-goal-amid-slump.html