WTI Magazine #50    2014 December, 26
Author : Francesca Papasergi      Translation by:

It's been a long and complicated year. We started it out with Mr. Enrico Letta at the country's helm, and then Matteo Renzi shuffled cards and ministers and replaced Letta at Palazzo Chigi.

Mr. Renzi had to keep Mr. Alfano's party in his government, but a new generation of politicians took over the old Italian Communist Party. The Democratic Party's representatives in the government are younger, more communicative and don't even think to define themselves as communists.

The European Parliament's elections were an enormous success for Mr. Renzi, not to mention that the EU countries take turns to lead the Union, and from July 1st, 2014, to December 31st, 2014, it was Italy's time.

Politically speaking, the "Italian semester" could have been much more profitable for Italy. Ms. Mogherini got the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy office, but that's really all. In spite of Italy's efforts to exit the crisis, lower the public debt and create more jobs, the "German" EU seems not to approve the Italian policies, and Standard&Poor's cut the country's sovereign rating to BBB.

Mr. Napolitano is going to leave the Quirinale Palace in January, and the Parliament will choose a new President of the Republic.

It's going to be a long and complicated year.

Happy 2015, Italy.