Investing in Italy – Borrowing costs at the lowest level since the adoption of the euro and a privatization plan of 10 billion for 2014 alone. The liquid assets that are invading the global markets are eyeing Italy, and not only because of bond sales that continue to show lower yields (May 30 in Financial Times – Italy’s borrowing costs at euro-era low; and Handelsblatt – Italien erhält Milliarden zu Niedrigzinsen). Interest was also generated by the privatization decided by the government, and begun with Fincantieri (Le Figaro, June 3 – L’Italie promet 10 milliards d’euros de privatisations en 2014).
Of course, for the present, the most important event is the entry of Etihad in the capital of Alitalia, covered by the major foreign papers. The New York Times explained that the Abu Dhabi group needed to purchase the Italian airline to widen its range in the European airways market (from June 2 to 5 in Wall Street Journal – Etihad to Invest in Alitalia Once Conditions Met *; New York Times – Etihad Nears Deal for a Stake in Alitalia; Washington Post – UAE airline: moving forward on an Alitalia deal; O Globo – Alitalia demonstra otimismo com carta da Etihad sobre fusão; Gulf News – Etihad Airways moving forward on Alitalia deal).
Less important from a financial point of view, but indicative of the interest in Italian businesses was the purchase of 52% of Pasta Garofalo by Ebro Foods for a cost of 62.5 billion euro. The investment will allow the Spanish company to strengthen its interest in high end food distribution (June 4 in El Pais – Ebro compra el 52% de la empresa de pasta italiana Garofalo por 62,5 millones and Cinco Dias – Ebro Foods compra el 52% de la italiana Pastificio Lucio Garofalo por 62,5 millones)
No crisis in the luxury goods sector – It is a luxury consumer’s paradise and by attracting Russians and Chineses has managed – according to the Spanish daily Abc – to resist the crisis. Reporting on the Via Montenapoleone fashion district in Milan, the paper explained that the city center area has guests from all over the world every day (June 2 – Milán, donde el lujo no entiende de crisis).
Italian design and luxury items remain points of reference for the international press. Some American papers wrote about Italian supercars (Bloomberg – Lamborghini Huracan Tempers Raging Bull With Refinement), explaining that American highways are becoming a little more Italian, thanks to the success of the new models of Maserati (Washington Post, June 4 – Maserati’s stylish ride starts around $68,000), and the Brazilian O Globo dedicated a photo series to the leaders of Italian design during an exhibition organized by the Istituto Europeo di Design in Rio de Jainero (June 3 – Protagonistas do design italiano).
Turism and culture – There was also space for tourism and culture in last week’s foreign press. The Financial Times visited the Cini Foundation in Venice (May 30 – Vittorio Cini’s legacy to Venice) and the Wall Street Journal explored the hidden treasures of Florence (Wall Street Journal – Florence’s Hidden Art Treasures). Die Zeit discovered the dolce vita of Dolcedo, a tiny village in Ligure on the border with France (June 5 – Dolcedo Vita – Leben in Dolcedo), while there was also an inevitable article about Rome. This week, attention was focused on the mindset of Gianfranco Rosi and his film “Sacro GRA”, shown at the Open Roads Film Festival of New York (New York Times, June 4 – Encircling Rome, On and Off the Road).
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