Italian PM Monti's ratings rise again despite crisis
Mario Monti - Photo EC
(ROME) - Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti's ratings rose again this month to 52 percent from 49 percent in July and 46 percent in June, according to a poll published by La Repubblica daily on Monday.
Monti's popularity had fallen for five months between February and June when it dropped from 59 percent to 46 percent, according to the monthly poll by IPR Institute which said the current rise was "very positive at a time of crisis".
The ratings of the government as a whole fell to 37 percent in September.
"On the one hand people respect the figure of Monti, his experience and his will to save Italy, on the other hand they are negative on the measures taken by the government, the rise in social tensions and unemployment," IPR said.
The poll was carried out on September 13-14 and had 1,000 respondents.
Monti, who took over from Silvio Berlusconi during a wave of financial market panic in November 2011, was at the peak of his popularity in January when his rating was 62 percent and his government was at 55 percent.
Despite his relatively high popularity ratings, Monti has repeatedly said he intends to step down next year and not run in a general election.
Another poll of 1,000 people by Euromedia Research published earlier this month forecast that the main centre-left Democratic Party would likely win upcoming elections with between 25 percent and 27 percent of the vote.
Berlusconi's centre-right People of Freedom party had between 19 percent and 21 percent of voting intentions.
But 45.9 percent of respondents said they were undecided.
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