Brussels hopes for normalcy in Italy

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has called former Prime Minister Enrico Letta personally to thank him, expressing hopes to his successor Matteo Renzi that good collaboration will continue. "He has always shown to be a committed European, with whom it's indeed a pleasure to work," Barroso said - almost as if the resignation were standard procedure. Since 1992, Italy has had eight prime ministers. Renzi would be number nine. Germany hopes for a "stable" outcome in Italy after Letta's resignation, a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday. "Italy is and will be a very important partner for us in Europe and in the eurozone," Steffen Seibert said. "That is why we are relying on the leaders of all the democratic parties in Italy being able to quickly agree with one another on a stable solution," he added.