We receive and publish this contribution from Raffaele Lauro, General Secretary of Unimpresa
Mario Draghi’s speech in Rimini is not only acceptable, but represents a historical passage, a prospect of an exit from the crisis, including a moral one, in which we are bogged down and at the same time a lesson in institutional rigor, made up of intellectual lucidity, of government planning, of protection of democratic freedoms, of love for one’s country and, last but not least, indeed first of all, of safeguarding the future of the new generations.
That speech, for those who wanted to listen to it without ideological blinders, without oblique interests and without shady as much exploited discoveries, constitutes an extraordinary opportunity to acquire definitive awareness of the dangerous ford in which we find ourselves and to finally understand the possible path to take to get out of it. .
First of all, the former president of the European Central Bank used words that are as simple as they are indisputable to represent the situation that the whole world is going through. Then he lined up valuable tips. He spoke about the challenge of Covid-19, the commitment to young people and education, the distinction between good and bad debt, a changing Europe and populism that is always lurking. A high speech, to be read thoroughly and on which to meditate for a long time. Many, even government officials, and not only since Draghi stepped off the stage of the Meeting, hastened to pull his jacket, giving him different institutional roles for Italy, in the unsuccessful attempt to entangle him in pre-electoral disputes and in power struggles, typical of Italic political provincialism. We would have to ask the opinion of the person concerned, but no one has bothered to do so: the usual partisan interests and exploitation prevail, which do not spare any political subject in the field.
Not very concrete and not very exciting topics. In any case, anyone who has always followed and appreciated him knows that Mario Draghi will always be ready to do his part. We at Unimpresa, now, are interested in the substance and, in particular, the accurate analysis of what, in our opinion, should become the political manifesto of our country, the viaticum of a new way of governing, having acknowledged that pro-tempore executive lives in permanent confusion, planning and decision-making, and does not seem to have the strength or the ability to chart the course. As our economy sinks into the quicksand caused by the pandemic, we are witnessing, therefore, the painful rush of the political forces of the majority to put their hats on Draghi’s speech.
Which, albeit indirectly, ruled the failure of the government in office precisely in launching, in recent months, the measures necessary for the country to get out of the economic crisis in which we have sunk. The three economic decrees, unimplemented and unworkable, confused, messed up, with no prospects. Emergency, however unable to provide for the same emergency.
A series of interventions, therefore, not coordinated, inspired by approximation and improvisation, when, on the contrary, there would have been a need for foresight, strategic vision, speed, courage and, in particular, incisiveness. Companies and families have found themselves in the hands, often with unforgivable delays, a handful of subsidies, when in the end it should be clear even to the blind, the deaf, the gullible and the foolish, that welfare does not produce anything good, except for a bit of political consensus and approval in the polls, in favor of those who offer it.
The unhealthy philosophy of citizenship income continued to prevail, even in the pandemic emergency, burning up huge and precious financial resources, without any serious and solid prospect for the employment of young people, mortified in their dignity as passive recipients and humiliated in their will. to contribute, especially in the South, to the national rebirth.
Today, however, there is no more time for power games or pre-election tactics. Politics must act and must do so immediately, with determination, following the path traced by Draghi. The economic consequences of the pandemic, on the other hand, are dramatic: employment with alarming data, paralyzed consumption and firm investments, a mix that is summarized with the vertical collapse of gross domestic product. We have taken a leap back a few decades, it is essential to restart quickly and start over on the right foot.
It is time for reconstruction and to do so we need to have as a guiding star those young people to whom the former governor of Bank of Italy referred, in Rimini. Which has also drawn a fundamental boundary with regard to public debt, distinguishing in an indisputable way between the “good” (intended for strategic objectives and fundamental to modernize the country) and the “bad” one (used for unproductive purposes). The quality of today’s choices will be decisive for tomorrow. It is not the time for looting at the expense of public finances, nor will mechanisms of donations on a relational and clientelist basis be tolerated.
Money should not be wasted also because there is a not insignificant problem of financial resources. Our country has already scraped the bottom of the “internal” barrel, with state coffers looted and collapsing. The procedure must be accelerated both for the Recovery fund (209 billion euros) and for the pandemic-Mes (37 billion euros): these are European funds that cannot be renounced for Italy, which cannot do without those sums to give hope to the citizens. With those 250 billion euros, money that will have to be paid back, a lot can be done. But further mistakes must be avoided, especially with regard to young people.
Covid-19 shuffled the cards, broke the mold, disintegrated everyone’s certainties. The new generations are at risk. We need to design and guarantee a certain and sustainable future, following the lesson of Rimini. A lesson that requires timely, consistent and sustainable reform action, without which the entire country system will fail.
Unimpresa, in total agreement with the appeal launched by Draghi, will remain vigilant and will not miss its contribution of ideas and proposals in the conference organized, on 4 September, in Rome, at the Senate of the Republic, on the theme of structural reforms to be realize, also for the benefit of small and medium-sized enterprises, without further delay, without already abused improvisations.
