Transatlantic relations

Venice

4 October 2013

Pivot to Europe: options for a new Atlantic century

At this latest edition of the Aspen Transatlantic Dialogue, the participants pointed to recent developments in the United States – with the at-least partial “shutdown” of federal government operations – as highlighting the multiple dysfunction of political systems on both sides of the Atlantic. It was noted that, in the midst of an economic recovery that is uncertain, in some respects fragile, and unquestionably asymmetric (both as between different sectors and between different countries), the efficiency of government decision-making becomes crucial.

Rome

22 May 2013

Saving Europe: a new compact across the Atlantic

The main challenge identified as facing European leaders was that of striking a delicate balance between maintaining domestic political consensus (in the face of strong social tensions) and implementing necessary but painful reforms that almost without exception will only yield positive results in the medium to long term. While the worst of the financial crisis seems to have been overcome, many concerns remain regarding the overall state of Europe’s economies and the EU’s continued viability from a political and institutional standpoint.

Milan

27 January 2014

The new Italian manufacturing: American and Asian models

The manufacturing sector has changed considerably over recent years across the entire globe, and Italy too has undergone some very profound adjustments. But while every advanced country, with the exception of Germany, has lost major chunks of the manufacturing export market, a gradual upgrade and redistribution process has kept Italian manufacturing competitive despite a steep drop in domestic demand, and Italian sector firms have lost a smaller share than those of other more mature economies.