PAUL BALICE (President of AIAF, the Italian Association of Financial Analysts) “It's a quality team. The new government means less spreads and more confidence. Its first measures will have to be fiscal. We need a package of debt shock measures but also measures for growth. It is important that the ECB takes action at this moment.
PAUL BASIL (President and CEO of Kairos) – It's hard not to be enthusiastic about the new government. Compared to the abyss we ended up in, everything changed in one week and Italy can now present itself internationally with a government that has few equals in Europe and with two figures of the highest quality - such as Prime Minister Mario Monti and the president of the ECB Mario Draghi – who can only give prestige to the country's image. Having said all this and underlining the fact that as a country we have done our part to get right, I fear that we will not emerge from the turmoil in the Eurozone until a decision is made to change the role of the ECB to lender of last resort in the market. The first thing to do? Surprise the markets by unleashing all the energies - starting with massive doses of liberalization - which can accelerate growth, which is the priority of priorities and without which there is no hope of permanently reducing the public debt.
FILIPPO CAVAZZUTI (President PattiChiari) - Technically it seems to me a very authoritative government. Of course, the concentration of powers in the figures of the Prime Minister on the one hand and the Minister of Development and Infrastructure on the other makes Monti and Passera the real dominus of government action for economic recovery and the relaunch of development. And so I can only wish them the most sincere wishes. The first thing to do? Massive liberalizations starting from the professions and the abolition of old-age pensions, allocating the proceeds to the taxation of social security contributions to boost growth and employment.
HENRY COLOMBACT (Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Turin). “The first measure? Raising the retirement age. A drastic intervention that gives a strong signal with immediate savings: everyone retires at 70. The last step to take? The patrimonial. In our country it makes no sense to think about raising taxes. But I believe that in the end a middle line will emerge between those who want to tax more (which is much easier) and those who really want to reform. Let's hope that the priorities can reward the reformers”.
GREGORIO DE FELICE (head of the Inresa Sanpaolo research office) – A splendid team. The first measure? They will win the Champions League.
ANDREA GILARDONI (Professor of Economics and Business Management at Bocconi) – It is a government to a large extent made up of highly professional people but who now have to demonstrate their operational skills in practice. On infrastructure in particular, I think that there has been an excess of criticism of the Berlusconi government's actions and that now we are not starting from scratch because there are already reasonable proposals on the table that it will be up to the new minister Passera to implement. In my opinion, the first thing to do is a framework law that introduces certain mechanisms to evaluate priority infrastructures as suggested by Mario Draghi and equally certain and defined mechanisms to implement them, also activating the contribution of private capital.
PATRICIA GRIECO (to Olivetti) - The first impression is certainly positive also because the government team is enriched compared to the first versions that appeared in the press by a range of personalities and not only academic skills. In particular, the nominations of Profumo for Education, Riccardi for International Cooperation and Passera for Development and Infrastructure deserve appreciation. We hope that a team of this level will also be the premise for very effective government action. The first thing to do? The reform of pensions in a logic of intergenerational solidarity and the labor reform to put companies in a position to make more and better use of flexibility but also to pay more for it.
GIULIO SAPELLI (Professor of Economic History at the State University of Milan) – “The Monti Government is an excellent solution. The names of the new ministers are excellent. The first thing to do? The pension reform
ANGELO TANTAZZI (former president of Borsa Italiana and current president of Prometeia) - “I am delighted with the birth of the Monti government because it is finally made up of normal and highly professional people. It is a government that can make us recover ground with respect to the recent setbacks and can regain the confidence of the markets. The first thing to do? Naturally a strategy capable of dealing with the economic emergency and of recovering the international relations that had come about both with the USA and with Europe.
GIANLUCA VERZELLI (Deputy Central Manager Banca Akros). “The first thing to do? Structural intervention on pensions, reintroduction of the ICI as foreseen by the European Union. The patrimonial? This request does not appear in the 39 points envisaged by Brussels, which would in any case have recessive effects in the short term, the need for which is not felt at all".
GIANFRANCO VIESTI (president of Fiera Levante di Bari) – My first impression is positive because the Government is made up of high quality people and in particular I like the unification between Development and Infrastructure and I like the fact that it has been assigned to a person like Passera . The appointment of Profumo to the University and of Fabrizio Barca to the Cohesion is also very appreciable. The first thing to do? Bringing the public budget under control with a maneuver on revenues but also launching a policy of reform and development very quickly. There isn't much to study about things to do anymore but the bet is to actually do them.
