Over two hours the day before yesterday with Mario Draghi, in secret, but not too much, given that in the end the Prime Minister's helicopter hardly goes unnoticed, even in the middle of the Umbrian countryside. And at least three hours last night with Giorgio Napolitano, in the presidential estate of Castelporziano, this time without any secrets: Matteo Renzi leaves Palazzo Chigi at 18 pm and returns after 22 pm.
The triangulation assumes, despite the almost absolute confidentiality that surrounds the two meetings, the value of a buoy passage. Draghi and Renzi clarify each other, eliminate the alleged disagreements of recent days, but the joint concern for the Italian economy remains in the background. Seen from Frankfurt, or from Palazzo Chigi, Italy's situation nonetheless remains critical, "dramatic" in many respects and many sectors, according to the admission of the premier himself.
The meeting with the head of state adds the advice and assessments of the country's leading institution: up to now Renzi has always been accompanied by an almost total harmony with Colle, the difficulty of the real economy, which shows no signs of recovering, he adds to the budget of the season, the first five months of the government, a different perspective from the past.
Renzi and Napolitano speak of the majority, of the solidity it has offered in Parliament, despite all the difficulties of the Senate reform process. They discuss the agenda for the coming months, important chapters such as labour, public administration, justice, infrastructures will get to the heart of September, but the central point is that of public finances.
Even to the President of the Republic, the head of government confirms that in any case Palazzo Chigi, even if the recession were to continue, does not intend to go beyond the 3% parameter, a question of national credibility that is shared. We are therefore discussing which expenses will have to be cut: if Renzi really has overcome a few too many misunderstandings with Carlo Cottarelli, the spending review commissioner, Napolitano is in any case closely monitoring the upcoming cuts. He has done it several times in the past, taking care to ask for the greatest possible care, so as not to affect a social fabric that is on the verge of suffering, in many sectors.
The comparison is also on foreign investments: Renzi is negotiating the possible entry of the Chinese Brilliance into Italy, even the unions are having difficulty getting news, it seems that the dossier is managed personally by the Prime Minister himself. The possible outlet would be Termini Imerese, the Beijing company needs an industrial plant in Europe, the former Fiat factory could be attractive and who knows if today the premier decides to give further details to the Sicilian authorities, who he will meet right in the town hall of Termini Imerese. Direct foreign investment in our country has become one of the priority objectives for the head of government. The government intends to "open the doors wide" to foreign investors in Italy, he told the Financial Times, adding these considerations: "Italy is strange, because there is a part of the political class who says "we have no foreign investment" and then, when foreign investors arrive, they say "but this is how you're selling everything". Well, it seems crazy to me, it's a really absurd way to behave. I am happier when I see a large foreign investor come here than when I see a normal Italian investor. And not because I'm not patriotic, but because the industrial project counts for me, not the passport".
Napolitano is closely following the contents of the enabling law on the labor market, which will be discussed in the autumn, and hopefully adopted by December, given that Italy will host a summit on the labor market as current president of the EU.
