I have thought about the one thing I would post here, this morning, after Prime Minister Monti’s announcing his resignation yesterday evening, a little over a year after he commenced an outstanding work of helping his country and Europe succeed.
I will only post a video, with one comment.
This is the video: Professor Monti speaking in Washington, on 27 September 2012, in front of the Council on Foreign Relations.
This is quintessentially Professor Monti. Most answers people seek are in there. Just watch it. Let me just note, out of the thorough talk, Professor Monti reminding the global audience that
…by the way, Italy will have next year a balanced budget in structural terms,… And we will be one of the first two, hopefully, EU member states to have reached that… very demanding objective, which implies, to give you an idea, that given the huge stock of debt, we will have and we are having year after year some 5 percent of GDP primary surplus.
Professor Monti is a senator for life, not a passing comet star. He also added, last September in Washington, talking about Italy’s future after the elections (now expected for February or March 2013):
I will be there. I will consider.
I will finish with what I tweeted then and a little hope, again from Professor Monti’s speech at the Council on Foreign Relations:
Seven more years of Monti’s leadership, as seven years is the mandate that the Italian Parliament will award to our next President of the Italian Republic.
Against all odds, Italy will make it.
Tommaso Arenare
Open Thinking 
One would say “not a shooting star”, perhaps?
Paola
Thank you so much for your insightful comment.
Yes, one would, “perhaps”, as you write, say “shooting star”. “Perhaps” is the word.
You are well aware of my penchant for psychological associations. Hence, “shooting” star would make me think of “shooting into one’s foot”, for example, which is an association which would not deserve to be associated with what I (or you) meant. I could have written “Not a passing comet“, or maybe just “Not a passing star”, perhaps, yes. But “shooting”, no, that wouldn’t do for me.
In addition, the use of comet in “comet star” is what one would call a “modifier noun“. I am sure you appreciate the additional emphasis on the positive that it contributes.
Thank you again.
Tommaso
Paradoxically, it is the reassuring Mr Monti who is most likely to cause an unstable result in the form of a hung Senate (The Economist, Jan 5th 2013). Does Italy deserve this chaos again?
David,
Thank you for your comment, I think you’re making a very wise point. I have no answer for now. I will be curious to revisit it after the elections are over. Perhaps good to catch up then.