Greeks want to stay in eurozone, Monti says

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said he was convinced that Greeks want to stay in the euro but the crisis had shown that more European Central Bank involvement was likely needed.

"Greeks want to stay in the euro," Monti said in an interview on CNN.

"Not all Greeks are ready to do what is necessary to stay in the euro, but I think as we approach the 17th of June election date, the feeling in Greece is that it's crucial for their country."

His comments were made shortly before his decision to cut short his stay at a NATO summit here and return to Italy to deal with the aftermath of a deadly school bombing and a fatal earthquake.

Greeks are expected back at the polls on June 17, only a few weeks after a May 6 ballot that returned a majority for anti-austerity or anti-European Union parties but failed to deliver a workable coalition government.

Monti, fresh from G8 talks at President Barack Obama's Camp David retreat outside the US capital, said a balance had to be struck with Athens on measures to promote growth and on previous pledges it made to its European partners.

"Certainly Europe cannot, of course, abandon or even substantially undermine and reduce the commitments it asked of Greece in order to help it," the Italian premier said. "I think an equilibrium will be found."

Asked if further help from the European Central Bank would be needed, Monti replied: "Of course, it is the most fundamental mission of the ECB... to see to it that the euro is safeguarded in its integrity.

"So I think against this background, the ECB, the EU institutions and the Greek authorities, or what is left of them in the process of reaching the new elections, will find a solution.

"It would not be the first time in the history of the EU that when Europe is really bumping into the wall all of a sudden, minds are focused, political wills converge and the solution is found. But it is a critical situation."

At Camp David, G8 leaders said they wanted debt-stricken Greece to stay in the eurozone but the group papered over deep-seated divisions about how best to tackle the crisis.

A spokeswoman for Monti said the Italian prime minister would take part in the first day's events at Sunday's NATO summit, but will allow his foreign minister to represent him on the second day.