Consumer optimism grows – The results of the European Parliamentary elections last week did not overshadow the positive economic news from Italy. The foreign press was particularly interested in the rising consumer trust, which in May recorded the highest level over the last four years, with hopes for increased consumer activity (May 27 in Reuters – Italian consumer morale hits four-year high after tax cuts and Valor Economico – Confiança do consumidor fica estável na França, mas aumenta na Itália). There was also optimism shown by investors, as seen in the continued excellent results of Italian bonds, for example the latest 4 billion euro sale of zero-coupon notes (Bloomberg Businessweek, May 27 – Italy Sells Maximum Amount Targeted at Sale of Zero-Coupon Notes).
There was also interest in business news. Fiat, for example, presented its sustainable business plan (Wall Street Journal, May 27 – Fiat’s Growth Plan Is Achievable, Marchionne Says*), and attention turned to the renewal of traditional great brands such as Maserati (New York Times – Maserati’s Image Builds on a Racing Reputation*). There was also interest in the new organizational structure of Eni, designed to make the group more efficient (Wall Street Journal, May 28 – Eni Approves New Organizational Structure*).
Music, cinema, culinary arts – As always, there were also numerous articles on culture. The Financial Times wrote about the Umbria Rock Festival and its organizer, the former banker, Yashwant Bajaj, who took the event to Massa Martana (May 23 – Massa Martana to host Umbria Rock Festival). El Pais focused on cinema, interviewing Asia Argento, in Cannes about the direction of her third film, “Incompresa” (May 23 – Asia Argento: “Las familias son un lío, ninguna es normal”). China Post also wrote about cinema with the news of the three new Italo-Taiwan co-productions and the organization of a future festival of Italian film in Taiwan (May 26 – Taiwan-Italy co-produced films finish shooting, look toward Venice).
Culinary arts were also in the news. The Wall Street Journal interviewed Massimo Bottura, who explained how his collection of contemporary art helps him create in the kitchen (May 27 maggio – Chef Massimo Bottura’s Feast for the Eyes). And while the Financial Times wrote about the success of Oscar Farinetti (May 27 – Matteo Renzi’s favourite deli man), The Times ran an article about lambrusco, always a popular wine with foreign consumers (May 24 – On the bottle: Lambrusco’s summer of love)
Finally, there was interest in a narrative about Italy, about reality and travel stereotypes, with an interview of the German writer Sabine Thiesler in her castle in Tuscany (Die Welt, May 25 – “Italiener verstehen generell keine Ironie”).
Italian design – Last week, the foreign press also wrote about architecture and design. The Financial Times revealed one of Milan‘s best-kept secrets, the architectural renaissance of the Isola neighborhood (May 23 – Isola: one of Milan’s best-kept secrets), and there were numerous pieces on the passing of Massimo Vignelli, the Italian designer who lived in New York and was famous for his creation of the map of the Big Apple subway (May 28 su Wall Street Journal – Graphic designer Massimo Vignelli dies in NY at 83 ; New York Times – Massimo Vignelli, a Visionary Designer Who Untangled the Subway, Dies at 83; Washington Post – Massimo Vignelli, celebrated designer whose work included NYC subway map, dies at 83).
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