Two underlying problems were identified and discussed during a conversation with Minister of Justice Marta Cartabia: citizens’ limited trust in judges (cited as a “moral issue”), and the excessive length of trials. The latter, especially in the prosecution of tax evasion, has a significant detrimental impact on the economy.
Today’s international scenario is distinguished by a strong interdependence of foreign policy and domestic priorities, particularly as a lever for economic development. The pandemic has once again confirmed the need for broad multilateral cooperation in the spirit of “build back better”. This in terms of sustainable transition (production as well as consumption) and fairness, along with the management of regional and global conflicts and tensions.
Country system appeal has always been an issue for Italy, the recipient of between 2% and 3% of all direct foreign investments in Europe and the twelfth-ranked nation on the continent. The difficulty in attracting investments is paramount among the concerns to be addressed in ensuring support for and the development of the country’s fabric of small and medium-sized enterprises. Yet, the country presents a marked dualism, not only between north and south, but also between levels of competitiveness and productivity.
The relationship between human capital and development has been a topic of study since economic policy has existed. Nevertheless, training and skills enhancement have long been underestimated by theories that have foregrounded other productive factors as decisive to economic growth.
Apart from the pandemic’s quantifiable and, to some extent, already recognized impact, how it has influenced the economic policies of governments across the globe is another assessment to be made. It is along this dual track that the trajectory of recovery and medium-term development can be examined. The European context has shifted in response to post-pandemic needs that are, nevertheless, even more broadly changing the relationship between the roles of government and how global markets function.
The bulk of the Recovery Plan’s massive investments are in the form of the Eurobonds with which the European Union plans to stimulate the continent’s post-pandemic economy. Nevertheless, their introduction – a proposal dating back to the late 1980s aimed at encouraging investments and infrastructure – could represent a veritable paradigm shift in EU policy. Fostering that, in the first place, would be the continent’s strategic autonomy in a range of sectors currently in need of a common vision with regard to protection and enhancement.
