ITALY’S election victor, Romano Prodi, has unveiled a plan to speed up the integration of a core group of European Union countries that threatens to leave Britain on the sidelines.

In his first newspaper interview since he narrowly defeated Silvio Berlusconi last week, Prodi told The Sunday Times he would accelerate measures to bind the main continental members into a tighter alliance and breathe new life into a European constitution.

He promised that despite the close result, he would stick to his 289-page manifesto and give Italy stable government for a full five-year term. He added in English with a smile: “There is no alternative.”

The leader known to Italians as “the Professor” was in jovial mood as he travelled first-class by train to his family home in Bologna. He apologised to a passenger sitting next to him for inflicting the interview on her, and cried out “Ciao, ciao, ciao” when his three-year-old granddaughter Chiara sauntered past.

As befits a former head of the European commission who prides himself on having overseen Italy’s adoption of the euro, Prodi said his priority was to forge an alliance of what he called “the countries most determined to push for a common European policy”.

“We need a strong relationship not just with France and Germany but also with the so-called group of six, countries like Belgium and Luxembourg — but not the Netherlands,” Prodi said.

Asked if this group would include Britain, he replied: “I believe it is difficult to include it among countries which are pushing for more integration. Britain has decided not to hold a referendum on Europe so it has not approved the European position. Evidently it believes in a policy which is more independent of the EU.”

When pressed he took a more cautious line. Would pro-European members increase defence co-operation, for example, without Britain? “I believe that European initiatives must have one clear characteristic without which they cannot be called European, and that is to keep the door open to all members. That is true of monetary, defence and any other area.

“Some members who want to do more can take initiatives, but this will never exclude the others.” As if on cue, the European anthem suddenly rang out from his mobile phone.

Giving the impression of having all the time in the world (the Italian president is not expected to appoint him prime minister designate until next month), he was clearly a little put out that Tony Blair had not called to congratulate him. “I imagine he is waiting for official announcements,” he said cautiously. Blair phoned later.

Does he feel esteem for Blair? “Always. We have a friendly relationship. The war in Iraq was a cause of political division between us, but not one of personal division.” Prodi has pledged a speedy withdrawal of Italy’s military contingent in Iraq. In a hushed voice and speaking in Italian, he outlined what he termed his “more Europe” reforms, with France, Germany, Spain and Italy taking the lead.

“Whether or not we will be a driving force, time will tell but member states must realise that they cannot have an advanced monetary policy on the one hand, and an old-fashioned economic policy on the other. The two must be linked.”

In his manifesto Prodi called for more harmonisation of economic policies with the euro zone given “a stronger political dimension”, the immediate appointment of an EU foreign minister and the abolition of the right of national vetoes on foreign policy decisions taken at EU summits.

The EU, he added with a smile, should relaunch talks on the European constitution after next year’s French elections.

Asked what aspects of the treaty could be salvaged, Prodi said: “We have to aim for a much more simplified constitution which focuses on the big principles. That means the first part of the constitution, the charter of fundamental rights and possibly a social protocol. But we have to remove all the technical, detailed aspects which scared people.”

The newly revised constitution, he said, should be put to voters across the EU in a referendum at the same time as the European elections in 2009.

Prodi insisted he had no qualms about governing with a thin majority and a broad coalition that includes communists and Greens. “The members of the coalition are all committed, and they all have a common interest,” he said. “If this coalition is broken, it is clear that we will have elections. And that is in no one’s interest.”

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