"Italy has embarked on a very tough war path: against the widespread prejudices against her, against the public debt and the inertial effects of decisions taken in the past, but also against the country's structural defects". This is the message launched this morning by the premier Mario Monti, who spoke at the ABI assembly.
"Mussari is absolutely right when he says that the government has never been gentle with banking companies - continued the Professor, commenting the opening speech by Giuseppe Mussari, president of the Italian Banking Association -. But I really appreciated Abi's attitude, who guaranteed us her support. All criticisms and suggestions will be carefully considered. I hope that all social partners will be inspired by this behaviour. I would also like some social partners who have obtained benefits for their representatives to do so, as happened for example with the reform of the labor market". Inevitable to read in these words a reference to the recent controversy between the Professor and the president of Confindustria, Giorgio Squinzi.
Monti then continued the list of measures launched by the government so far, also recalling the interventions on the subject of "goods and services, in particular as regards restrictions on competition", and the "heavy impact on the most nefarious aspect, the public spending generation mechanisms that have produced a series of perverse effects”.
In each of thesewars against legitimate interests, most of the time, but very strong ones – added the Premier -, we are getting deferred results”. Those in terms of reputation and international credibility arrived "faster than expected", Monti said again, who then compared the treatment reserved for the former head of government Silvio Berlusconi at the G20 in Cannes (where he was "subjected to very unpleasant tensions, close to humiliation”) to the new role conquered by our country during the last G20 meeting in Los Cabos, Mexico.
On the other hand, progress in the financial sphere is much slower, and for the Executive it is "frustrating" that the positive results of the measures put in place so far are slow in arriving. This is especially true with regard to the spread, which remains at too high, in fact "unjustified" levels, as he had previously underlined - from the same stage - the governor of Bank of Italy Ignazio Visco.
“I invite you to do not consider the war path concluded – Monti concluded – but I think we can very reasonably hope that, I don't know in which month, the first results of this collective awareness of Italian society will arrive”.
