Credit Suisse First Boston became an unwitting pawn in Italy's recent bitterly-fought election campaign. Centre-left leader Francesco Rutelli was cock-a-hoop when he happened upon a report by the Swiss bank which had some less-than-complimentary things to say about his opponent's fiscal policy.

Armed with the offending study he marched off enthusiastically to address the country's business elite in Parma. Rutelli was so taken with the contents that he insisted on reading them out in the original language.