Berlusconi comes under fire for replacing Monti on Commission

Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's Prime Minister, was accused by the centre-left opposition of putting his ruling coalition ahead of the national interest by getting rid of Mario Monti as Italy's member of the European Commission. Opposition politicians said Mr Monti's replacement on 23 July 2004 by Rocco Buttiglione, Italy's European Affairs Minister, was motivated partly by Mr Berlusconi's desire to appease a Catholic centrist political party that has been making trouble in Mr Berlusconi's centre-right coalition.