ROME (Reuters) - For Italy's partners in Brussels and Washington, President Giorgio Napolitano was a guarantor of stability during the euro zone crisis. But for austerity-weary Italians turning increasingly against Europe, his image is more ambivalent.
U.S. President Barack Obama last week thanked Napolitano, who resigned on Wednesday, for his "historic" term in office. The 89-year-old former communist has also been praised by international investors and commentators, who contrast his dutiful stance with Italy's fractious politicians.