Mario Monti, tendered his resignation in December from his post as prime minister of Italy after 13 months in government and will oversee ordinary administration until the new premier takes over, after the next Italian general elections in February.
The coalition former European Union commissioner is running with a list of candidates using the motto 'With Monti for Italy - a Civic Choice' and formed an alliance with the centrist UDC and Futuro Liberta' parties.
His recent decision to run for premiership as leader of a centrist alliance in the next general elections has had wide-ranging effects on the Italian political debate and is provoking major re-alignments in strategies in the centre-right and centre-left coalitions.
Today, all Italian major media report that for this short but intense campaign, Monti has hired David Axelrod, campaign advisor to President Barack Obama during his successful run for Presidency in 2008 and Senior Strategist for Obama's successful re-election campaign in 2012.
About ten days ago, Axelrod came to Rome to talk to Monti: "I was in Rome for a day at the request of my former consulting firm - explains Axelrod in an email to Italian newspaper La Stampa - to offer my advice to President Monti".
Only time will tell if the mastermind of President Obama’s winning strategy will also manage to lead Monti to victory in the complex Italian political arena next February.
