Economy – The merger process between mutual banks is underway in Italy, and the foreign press is focusing its attention on the industry. Spreading the news of the marriage between BPM and Banco Popolare are some of the leading international newspapers (El Pais, March 24 – Los italianos Banco Popolare y Banca Popolare di Milano acuerdan su fusión), which stress how the objective is to create a “solid” group capable of becoming the number-three Italian bank (New York Times, March 24 – Banco Popolare, BPM Say Merger Creates “a Solid Bank” *). The process is also seen positively by the rating agency Moody’s (Expansion, March 27 – Moody’s ve positiva la fusión de Banco Popolare y BPM para las entidades y el sistema bancario italiano), while – Reuters explains – the European Central Bank also looks favourably on the other consolidation taking place, between cooperative banks (March 29 – ECB Welcomes Italy’s Mutual Bank Reform). The British press agency also recounts the offer by the American fund Apollo Management to buy a controlling stake in Carige (Reuters, March 29 – Apollo offers to buy majority of Italy’s Carige via 550 million euros cash call); this news was also covered by the The Wall Street Journal (March 29 – Apollo Offers to Buy Controlling Stake in Italy’s Banca Carige*) which – again on the theme of American investment – reports on trade trip by New York governor Andrew Cuomo to Italy (March 29 – NY Gov. Cuomo planning trade trips to China, Italy*). The American press also shines the spotlight on Vicenzaoro, the important jewellery fair where, as The New York Times explains, a “new age” in Italian jewellery is emerging, mixing “technology with tradition (March 30 – Italy’s Goldsmiths Mix Technology With Tradition).
Tourism and culture. Of the many reports, mention must be made of the long interview that El País has dedicated to Nobel laureate Dario Fo on the occasion of his 90th year (March 29 – Dario Fo: “Solo me interesa dar ejemplo”) and the exhibition in Madrid of the works done within the framework of the Index Roma programme, which hosts, at the Spanish Academy’s Roman residence, artists in search of inspiration in the streets of the Eternal City (El País, March 25 – Inspirados en Roma). The Washington Post also reports on Spanish art, recounting the show dedicated to Joan Miro at Mudec in Milan (March 25 – Joan Miro exhibit opens in Milan showing technique, material).
The New York Times, on the other hand, suggests a stay in Florence in a hotel with a view of Santa Maria Novella (March 25 – In a Florentine Palazzo, History with a Dash of Playfulness), while Bloomberg speaks of Umbria where, for a little more than $8 million dollars, you can buy the town and castle of Sismano (March 29 – This $8.3 Million Italian Castle Comes With Its Own Town). Lastly, le Monde underlines how the difficult geopolitical situation of the Arab countries is transforming Spain and Italy into refuge destinations for European vacationers (March 30 – L’Espagne et l’Italie, destinations refuges des vacanciers*).
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