Brookings: Experts - Michael Calingaert

Italy in the Post-Crisis Environment: Technology, Innovation and Global Competition

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:30:00 -0500

Event Information

December 7, 2010
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM EST

Kresge Room
The Brookings Institution
1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC

On December 7, the Brookings Center on the U.S. and Europe (CUSE), the Council for the U.S. and Italy and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted Emma Marcegaglia, the Chairperson of Confindustria, for an address on the transatlantic economy in the post-crisis environment, with a focus on the Italian private sector. In her remarks, Ms. Marcegaglia discussed the role of technology and innovation in maintaining economic growth and development and overcoming economic challenges.

Ms. Marcegaglia has been Chairperson of Confindustria since May 2008. Founded in 1910, Confindustria is the principal Italian business confederation, representing over 140,000 manufacturing and services companies of all sizes and over 5 million employees. Ms. Marcegaglia is the first woman ever to serve in that position, and she has been forthright and effective in advocating for Italy’s economic and political reform. In addition to her role as head of Confindustria, she is the Managing Director of Marcegaglia S.p.A., a world leader in steel processing, President of Mita Resort and President of the Areté Onlus Foundation.

Michael Calingaert of the Council for the United States and Italy and Brookings introduced Ms. Macegaglia. Following her remarks, Peter Rashish of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce provided comments. After the program, Michael Calingaert moderated a question and answer session with the audience.

Transcript

Event Summary (.pdf)

Event Materials

1207_italy_economy_speech

Participants

Moderator

Panelists

Peter S. Rashish

Vice President for Europe & Eurasia
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Emma Marcegalia

Chairperson
Confindustria

Italy’s Choice: Reform or Stagnation

Michael Calingaert — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0500

INTRODUCTION

Italy is one of the great success stories of the post–World War II era. Indeed, a massive transformation of the country’s economy and society has taken place over the past 60 years. By the end of the twentieth century, a nation that in 1958 was the least developed of the six founding members of the European Community had achieved an economic miracle based on a distinctive brand of entrepreneurial development. It had become one of the world’s leading industrial countries. Its reputation for fashion, food, and flair was second to none. It is today a member of the elite Group of Eight industrialized nations.

Yet, even as the outside world’s image of Italy has improved over the years, a number of fundamental problems have remained persistent features of the national landscape. Italians have always been inclined to self-criticism and self-doubt. But increasingly outsiders, too, have experienced exasperation at the country’s shortcomings, real and imagined. The fall of Romano Prodi’s 20-month-old government in January, after the prime minister lost a vote of confidence in the Senate, was only the latest example of political dysfunction. Today, Italy faces a range of acute and pressing challenges. Many Italians fear that these pose a threat to their country’s prosperity and wellbeing. The citizens also question their political leadership’s capacity to address the challenges, which stem largely from ongoing political, economic, and demographic trends.

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Authors

Michael Calingaert

Publication: Current History

Italy's Economy and the European Union

Michael Calingaert — Mon, 01 Sep 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Michael Calingaert is also Executive Vice President of the Council for the United States and Italy. This article was one of three in a series titled "Who's the Comeback Kid? France, Germany, and Italy are struggling to recover. Who'll come out on top?" which appeared in the Fall 2003 edition of The International Economy magazine.

"Eppur si muove" ("and yet it moves") mumbled Galileo under his breath when forced to recant his heretical notion that the Earth moves around the sun. Similarly heretical—though less dangerous—is the notion that there is movement in the Italian economy, indeed, that in many respects it has achieved considerable success.

There are, of course, ample grounds for criticizing Italy's past economic policy and performance. After engaging in a painful effort during the early and mid-1990s, Italy confounded the skeptics by meeting the criteria enabling it to join the European Union's single currency area at its inception in 1999. Since then, however, Italy has slipped to the back of the pack, moving from low GDP growth into recession and showing seemingly little progress in addressing, let alone resolving, a number of fundamental economic problems.

The complete article is available here. (PDF—502kb)

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Authors

Michael Calingaert

Publication: The International Economy