Economy – The foreign press spotlights Italy’s economic recovery and the “enviable shape” with which the country presented itself at the G20: On the occasion of the summit in Rome, The Washington Post and Les Echos also profile Mario Draghi as “the man who counts in Europe,” (October 29 – Mario Draghi, l’homme qui compte en Europe*), covering how the “green pass” and vaccination rate are helping the national economy experience a “miracle” (October 28 – Mario Draghi, hosting the G-20, has put Italy in enviable shape*). The signs continue to be encouraging, as Reuters points out, reporting the declining unemployment rate in September with the creation of 59,000 jobs (November 3 – Italy Sept jobless rate edges down to 9.2%, with 59,000 jobs created vs month before).
There is also positive news on the financial front, with Intesa Sanpaolo achieving its end-of-year goals early and getting ready for a new growth plan (November 3 in Bloomberg – Intesa Gets Lift from Provisions to Beat Profit Estimates; Reuters – Intesa to spruce up for new plan after meeting profit goal early and Börsen Zeitung – Intesa Sanpaolo erreicht schon jetzt das Jahresziel*). In industry, Les Echos reports on Illy and the company’s plans to expand into other high-end food divisions (November 3 – Illy, l’échappée belle hors du café). And luxury is making the news with Gucci returning to Hollywood for its first in-person event since the start of the pandemic (The New York Times, November 3 – Gucci Makes a Hollywood Entrance).
Lastly, the circular economy is also covered, with Les Echos reporting on how Italy has become “European champion” in paper recycling, “15 years ahead of the goals set by the European Union” (November 1 – L’Italie, championne d’Europe du recyclage papier*).
Culture – In culture, Financial Times publishes a new article in the FT Globetrotter dedicated to Rome, suggesting the best spots for live music, from “intimate neighbourhood joints” to “some of Europe’s most splendid concert halls” (November 1 – Prima la musica! Six of Rome’s best live-music destinations*). Meanwhile, on the occasion of the G20, the agency Xinhua focuses on the cultural ties between Italy and China, recounting the story of the missionary Matteo Ricci who “opened a path for East-West cultural exchange some 400 years ago” (October 30 – Matteo Ricci, bridge between Italy, China | Stories shared by Xi Jinping). And the Tunisian newspaper La Presse interviews the director of the Italian Cultural Institute of Tunis, Maria Vittoria Longhi (October 30 – Maria Vittoria Longhi, directrice de l’Institut Culturel Italien à La Presse: “Comment faire d’une crise une opportunité?”).
Lastly, in food culture, coverage is devoted to remembering the life of the recently deceased Ado Campeol, the “father of tiramisù” (The Guardian, October 31 – Italy’s father of tiramisu dies aged 93; Le Nouvel Observateur, November 1 – L’Italie dit adieu à l’inventeur du tiramisu, mort à 93 ans).
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