Mario Monti gets bullets in post from leftist gang

POLICE are investigating the discovery of bullets intercepted in the post and addressed to Italian prime minister Mario Monti and his predecessor Silvio Berlusconi.

The bullets were found in ten envelopes and were also sent to welfare minister Elsa Fornero, centre-left leader Pierluigi Bersani, Pierferdinando Casino of the UDC party and the editors of five Italian newspapers.

Officials said inside the envelopes was a leaflet from the left-wing terror group, the Armed Proletarian Movement, which read: “Look again at the austerity budget or you will be made to pay.”

Mr Monti’s government, which has been in power for a month, has introduced a €30billion package of tax hikes and pension cuts in order to control Italy’s €1.9 trillion public debt.

The budget passed a confidence vote yesterday by 495 votes to 88 against.

Premier Monti on Friday said he was “absolutely did not despair” at Italy’s economic situation and was confident it will be able to save itself from its current debt crisis.

Police said the envelopes containing the bullets of various calibres, were found in a sorting office in Lamezia Terme in southern Italy.

The discovery came just a week after a letter bomb exploded at a tax office in Rome. It was one of three sent to targets in Europe by an Italian anarchist group.

The group is thought to be an offshoot of the defunct Armed Proletarian Unit, which was in action in southern Italy in the mid 1970s and which led a bombing and shooting campaign before its leader was killed by police.

The latest note added: “We will make you pay. You will pay for this budget with blood. You will not sleep easy. ”