Lower lending rates and long-dated bonds – Borrowing rates are falling and Italy started selling government bonds with long-dated bonds. The further decrease of debt costs was analyzed on January 11 in the German papers, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Rom refinanziert sich so günstig wie lange nicht) and Handelsblatt (Italien kommt günstiger an frisches Geld). In addition, the sale of a 15 year government bond was hailed on January 15 by several foreign papers (Financial Times – Italy raises €6bn with long-dated bonds; Wall Street Journal – Italy Sells Longest Bond In Two Years; El Pais – Italia coloca 6.000 millones de euros en una emisión sindicada a 15 años; Expansion – Italia lanza su primera emisión sindicada de deuda desde 2010; Handelsblatt – Italien kommt mit 15-jähriger Anleihe auf den Markt).
Italy, towards a new republic – The foreign press also continued its scrutiny of Italian elections: last week several articles tried to explain what might happen in Italy after the elections and whether they might really lead to a Third Republic given the need for change expressed by Italians (an editorial by Lorenzo Bini Smaghi on January 17 in the Financial Times – Italians need more than the old politics;* and comments in La Vanguardia, January 13 – Italia y el cambio de tendencia; El Pais, January 12 – Italia ensaya una nueva ¿democracia?).
Turism, cuisine and fashion – The foreign press also ran pieces on Italian lifestyle. The Wall Street Journal (January 17 – Italy to Outline Plan to Revive Tourism) wrote about the government’s plans to boost Italian tourism and Time visited the chain Eataly dedicated to Italian delicatessen (Time, January 13 – Italy, Fast & Slow: Behind the Unlikely Rise of Eataly*). Finally, the Washington Post focused on Milan fashion week (January 15 – Milan fashion: Tradition rules, with reinventions focusing on technology and details), analyzing the runway collections, influenced by tradition and technology.
* marked articles viewable online upon payment or registration