European Commission President President Jose Manuel Barroso poses with Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti (L) ahead of a European Union leaders summit in Brussels December 13, 2012. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir
ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti faced increasing pressure on Thursday to stand as a candidate in next year's election after Silvio Berlusconi's surprise offer to drop his bid for a fifth term as premier.
At a meeting of the European People's Party in Brussels, an umbrella group of centre-right parties, Berlusconi repeated the offer to stand aside if Monti agreed to run against the centre-left, who are tipped to win the election.
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