Tell Corriere – the reasons for 30 years of Italian decline

Dear AldoAnd
My assessment of the main political forces that emerged after the First Republic is very crucial. I only doubt whether the crisis our country has entered in recent decades is a cause or a consequence of the assertion of these parties. The Northern League waved first independence, then federalism and home rule multiplied the places and costs of politics and those who depended on it in various public and local bodies. Berlusconi’s forcing ushered in a season of populism that pays no attention to spending restrictions in order to please voters and gain support. Upon the failure of this, anti-politics and the disastrous concept of one deserves one finally emerged. Unfortunately for us, and more so for our children, the confrontation between these political forces, their leaders, and their people, and the political formations that characterized the First Republic, is merciless.
Fabio Rampoldi

Dear FabioAnd
There is no doubt that our country has been in decline for at least thirty years. At the time of the Craxi government, we announced the overtaking of the United Kingdom: we were the fifth largest economy in the world, and we were overtaking France. Today, in the rating of the World Bank, the United Kingdom is clearly ahead of us, India is also clearly ahead of us, and also China is clearly ahead, while Germany’s GDP is more than twice that of Italy. Other statistics are more generous towards our country because they give more weight to the unauthorized, that is, to blacks. But, apart from capital of criminal origin, wealth produced without the payment of taxes and contributions does not contribute to the civil and social development of the country; It remains private wealth, often safe in tax havens. The reason for this decline remains incomprehensible. Of course, a country that has more dogs than children and (in some areas) more retirees than people in work does not have a great future; You don’t need to be a good economist to understand this. But it’s not just a matter of demography or willingness to work. Thirty years ago, the two pillars on which First Republic Italy built its development model collapsed: generous public spending and a weak currency, with competitive devaluations boosting Made in Italy and exports. However, today the problem is not money, since we are not able to spend European money, not even exports, which are good, sometimes very good. The question is competitiveness, innovation, infrastructure, school and university training, the difficulty of bringing small businesses together and giving themselves that dimension that allows the necessary investments in technology and personnel. And as you remember, the choice of the dominant class. Without this makes us regret the republic of parties.