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☆ Europe Has Fallen Behind the U.S. and China. Can It Catch Up?
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Patricia Cohen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Europe’s share of the global economy is shrinking, and fears are deepening that the continent can no longer keep up with the United States and China. “We are too small,” said Enrico Letta, a former Italian prime minister who recently delivered a report on the future of the single market to the European Union. “We are not very ambitious,” Nicolai Tangen, head of Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, told The Financial Times. “Americans just work harder.”“European businesses need to regain self-confidence,” Europe’s association of chambers of commerce declared.

Persons: ”, Enrico Letta, ” Nicolai Tangen Organizations: European Union, Financial Times Locations: United States, China, Italian

☆ 'We are losing competitiveness' in the EU, former Italian Prime Minister Letta says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'We are losing competitiveness' in the EU, former Italian Prime Minister Letta saysEnrico Letta, author of "Much More Than A Market" and former Italian prime minister, discusses the European economy.

Persons: Letta, Enrico Letta Organizations: EU Locations: Italian

☆ Former Italian president Napolitano dies aged 98
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Former Italian President and senator Giorgio Napolitano speaks following a talk with Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, Italy, April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Tony Gentile/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Former Italian president Giorgio Napolitano, a onetime communist who helped to steer his country through a debt crisis in 2011, died on Friday aged 98. Condolences poured in from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office, other politicians, the Vatican and beyond. Napolitano became president in 2006 and was elected for an unprecedented second seven-year term in 2013. Reporting by Angelo Amante; writing by Keith Weir and Angelo Amante Editing by Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Giorgio Napolitano, Sergio Mattarella, Tony Gentile, Giorgia, Pope Francis, Napolitano's, Clio Bittoni, Napolitano, Pope Benedict XVI, Francis, Mario Monti, Silvio Berlusconi, Enrico Letta, Angelo Amante, Keith Weir, Gareth Jones Organizations: Italian, REUTERS, Rights, European Commission, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, Italian

MILAN, June 12 (Reuters) - Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire media mogul and former Italian prime minister who transformed the nation's politics with polarising policies and often alarmed his allies with his brazen remarks, died on Monday aged 86. Berlusconi, Italy's longest-serving premier who counted Russian President Vladimir Putin as a friend and gained notoriety for his "bunga bunga" sex parties, had suffered from leukaemia and recently developed a lung infection. Berlusconi's Forza Italia party is part of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition, and although he himself did not have a role in government, his death is likely to destabilise Italian politics in the coming months. Farewell Silvio," Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said. After building a television empire in the 1980s, Berlusconi threw himself into politics in 1994 and almost immediately became prime minister.

Persons: Silvio Berlusconi, Berlusconi, Italy's, Vladimir Putin, Paolo, ANSA, Giorgia Meloni's, Marina, Silvio, Giorgia Meloni, Enrico Letta, Putin, Emilio Parodi, Elvira Pollina, Alvise Armellini, Edmund Blair Organizations: MILAN, Berlusconi's Forza Italia, Twitter, Milan bourse, Forza Italia, Monza, Serie, Thomson Locations: San Raffaele, Milan, Italy, Italian, Ukraine, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ Beaten and divided, Italy's centre-left seeks new leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Centre-left Democratic Party (PD) supporters gather during the electoral campaign closing event of Enrico Letta, secretary of PD, in Piazza del Popolo, ahead of the general election, in Rome, Italy, September 23, 2022. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneSummary Italy's PD looking to recover after 2022 election defeatParty seeks ninth leader in just 16 yearsModerate regional president faces young left-wingerROME, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Italy's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) will chose a new leader this weekend who it hopes can pull the group out of a tail spin and provide a credible challenge to the nationalist prime minister, Giorgia Meloni. PD supporters will have to pick between two starkly different candidates who offer opposing views on how to revive the party after a string of crushing election defeats. He promotes himself as a sound administrator and proven vote winner, who would seek cross-party alliances to defeat the ruling right-wing coalition. Makeshift voting booths are being set up across the country and PD officials hope at least a million people take part.

"This result consolidates the centre-right and strengthens the work of the government," Meloni wrote on Twitter. However, fears inside the coalition that support might crumble for Meloni's two main partners proved unfounded. The result offered no comfort to the centre-left camp, comprising the Democratic Party (PD), the 5-Star Movement and so-called Third Pole, which is riven by mutual loathing. Italy's electoral laws at both a national and regional level favour parties that combine forces meaning Meloni's opponents face years in the wilderness unless they learn to work together. Reporting by Crispian Balmer and Angelo Amante; Editing by Gavin Jones and Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italy's government wins lower house confidence vote on 2023 budget
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Italy's lower house of the parliament holds a confidence vote over the 2023 budget in Rome, Italy December 23, 2022. REUTERS/Remo CasilliROME, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The Italian government on Friday comfortably won a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies, which it called to speed up approval of its expansionary 2023 budget before a year-end deadline. The government won the vote by 221 to 152. If a confidence vote is lost the government must resign but Meloni, with her ample parliamentary majority, ran no risk of this. Opposition parties have accused the right-wing ruling coalition of giving parliament insufficient time to review the budget.

Enrico Letta said his centre-left Democratic Party would organise street protests on Dec. 17, while former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, leader of the left-leaning 5-Star Movement, called the cuts to the citizens' wage "inhuman." The budget allocates over 21 billion euros next year in tax breaks and bonuses to help firms and households pay electricity and gas bills. This comes on top of some 75 billion euros of similar measures approved this year. The curbs on the citizens' wage, which the rightist coalition says discourages people from seeking work, is particularly contentious. Meloni, who has always opposed the citizens' wage, insisted it was wrong "to put people who can work on the same level as those that can't."

ROME, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Italy's new government on Monday delayed the application of a justice reform required to obtain European post-pandemic funds and scrapped a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health workers. Both moves mark discontinuity from the previous administration of Mario Draghi, who imposed tough COVID curbs and pushed through the contested justice reform aimed at speeding up Italy's slow judicial proceedings. Speaking at a news conference after cabinet approved the measures, Meloni accused her predecessors, Draghi and Giuseppe Conte, of taking an "ideological" approach to COVID and said she would do things differently. It would have been hard to start in a worse way," said Enrico Letta, head of the centre-left Democratic Party. The decision to delay the reform, which Meloni said was taken at the request of all Italy's prosecutors' offices, sparked criticism from the opposition, lawyers, and experts.

ROME — Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian leader who recently returned to frontline politics, has reconnected with his old friend Russian President Vladimir Putin with an exchange of gifts and “sweet” letters over his recent birthday. “I reconnected with President Putin — a little bit, well a lot,” the 86-year-old reportedly said during a conversation with lawmakers from his center-right Forza Italia party, according to Italy’s LaPresse news agency which published the comments. Meloni needs the support of Forza Italia to keep its majority in the Senate and the lower house of parliament. ... Berlusconi who reconnects with the invader of Ukraine?”It’s not the first time Berlusconi has seemingly defended Putin with whom he has a long and friendly history. Later he backtracked, saying his words had been “oversimplified.”Berlusconi responded with a joke when asked about his latest comments by reporters, although his Forza Italia party tried to distance itself from the comments.

Her uncompromising statement came after her conservative ally Silvio Berlusconi reiterated his sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin and accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of triggering the war. In a sharply worded declaration, Meloni said any party that disagreed with her foreign policy line should not join the government, which is set to take office next week. Meloni has staunchly defended Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in February, and has supported Western sanctions against Moscow. Repeating accusations made by Putin that have been denied by Ukraine, Berlusconi said Zelenskiy made the situation much worse when he came to power in 2019. "Berlusconi's comments are very grave and incompatible with Italian and European positions," said Enrico Letta, the leader of the centre-left Democratic Party.

Leader of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) Enrico Letta reacts as he speaks to media a day after Italy's election where the rightwing alliance led by Giorgia Meloni triumphed, in Rome, Italy, September 26, 2022. REUTERS/Stoyan NenovROME, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The leaders of Italy's opposition parties on Monday blamed their defeat on a lack of unity and on voters choosing a path of populism, after Giorgia Meloni's rightist bloc overwhelmingly won the national election. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEnrico Letta, the head of the opposition Democratic Party (PD), announced he would stand down. M5S leader Giuseppe Conte said overnight it was the PD's fault if it proved impossible for the centre left to win. "They have undermined a political offer that could have been competitive against this centre right," Conte said.

☆ Italy's centre-left Democratic Party concedes election defeat
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People stand next to a poster of Enrico Letta, secretary of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), at the PD headquarters, during the snap election, in Rome, Italy, September 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo CasilliROME, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Italy's main centre-left group, the Democratic Party (PD), conceded defeat early Monday in a national election and said it would be the largest opposition force in the next parliament. "This is a sad evening for the country," Debora Serracchiani, a senior PD lawmaker, told reporters in the party's first official comment on the result. Provisional results showed that a right-wing alliance led by Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party had won around 43% of the vote and was on course for a clear majority in parliament. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Gavin Jones; Editing by Crispian BalmerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Centre-left Democratic Party (PD) supporters gather before the electoral campaign closing event of Enrico Letta, secretary of PD, in Piazza del Popolo, ahead of the general election, in Rome, Italy, September 23, 2022. Pollsters say his relentless message has particularly resonated in the poorer south, where hundreds of thousands live off welfare, and could yet prevent a right-wing landslide. BERLUSCONI FIRESTORMBarely 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) away, Italy's main centre-left group, the Democratic Party (PD), wrapped up what critics say has been an underwhelming campaign, accusing the right of looking to isolate the country in Europe. Voting runs from 7 a.m to 11 p.m. (0500-2100 GMT) on Sunday, with exit polls released when balloting ends. The complex calculations required by a hybrid proportional/first-past-the-post electoral law mean it may be many hours before a precise count of parliamentary seats is available.

Since publication of opinion polls was banned two weeks ago the left-leaning, unaligned 5-Star Movement appears to have made significant progress while the rightist League is struggling, according to seven pollsters interviewed by Reuters. "I would put the likelihood of a rightist majority at 60-65%, which has shrunk from about 80% three weeks ago." Their estimates on the probability of a conservative win ranged from 70% right up to 100% forecast by Federico Benini, head of the Winpoll agency. Nonetheless, most pollsters agreed the split between 5-Star and the PD will wreck both parties' chances in the third of the parliamentary seats assigned by a first-past-the-post system. "Even the growth of the 5-Star, unless it is phenomenal growth, appears insufficient to prevent the centre-right from winning," said Lorenzo Pregliasco, head of the YouTrend agency.

☆ Putin invaded to put 'decent people' in Kyiv, says Italy's Berlusconi
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Alvise Armellini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"I haven't even understood why Russian troops spread around Ukraine while in my mind they should have only stuck around Kyiv", said the 85-year-old Berlusconi, who once described Putin as being like a younger brother. Ukraine initially chased his troops from the Kyiv area, and more recently from parts of the northeast near the Russia border. Putin now says the main aim is to secure territory in the Donbas region partly controlled by pro-Russia separatists. REUTERS/Yara Nardi"If on Sunday night the result is favourable to the right, the happiest person would be Putin," Letta told RAI radio. Centrist leader Carlo Calenda, another election contender, said on Radio24 said Berlusconi had spoken"like a Putin general".

☆ The far-right is expected to win Italy's election in Rome's biggest political shift for decades
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The Brothers of Italy party stands out from the crowd and is expected to gain the largest share of the vote for a single party. Giorgia Meloni, leader of the right-wing party Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) holds a giant Italian national flag during a political rally on February 24, 2018 in Milan, Italy. The snap election follows the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Draghi in July, after he failed to unite a fractious political coalition behind his economic policies. An election win by Fratelli d'Italia could see the party's leader, Giorgia Meloni, become Italy's first female prime minister. Fratelli d'Italia has been pro-NATO and pro-Ukraine and supports sanctions against Russia, unlike Lega which is ambivalent about those measures.

☆ Italian women divided over the prospect of far-right female premier
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-18 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

ROME — If Italy elects the nation’s first female premier, will its women be delighted or dismayed? Should opinion polls prove on the mark, Giorgia Meloni and the far-right Brothers of Italy party she co-founded less than a decade ago will triumph in the Sept. 25 election. Nothing.”Meloni, 45, is the only main party leader who didn’t join Premier Mario Draghi’s pandemic national unity government in 2021. After populist forces, including two of Meloni’s campaign allies, yanked support for Draghi in July, the former European Central Bank chief’s coalition collapsed, prompting an early election. But she has snapped back at contentions that it wouldn’t be a victory for women if she becomes premier.

☆ Explainer: Rightist alliance set for Italian election victory
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Yara NardiROME, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Italy votes in a national election on Sunday that could herald its most right-wing government since World War Two, led by its first woman prime minister. read moreThe vote was called after infighting brought down Prime Minister Mario Draghi's national unity government in July. Before then they had consistently shown that a rightist coalition led by the nationalist Brothers of Italy party and also involving the League party and Forza Italia was on course for a clear victory. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterBrothers of Italy leader Giorgia Meloni would be the likely choice for prime minister as head of the main coalition party. Prime minister from 2018-21, he provoked anger when his party withdrew support for Draghi's government in July, sparking divisions that led to the early election.

☆ I’m no danger to democracy, Italy’s far-right leader Giorgia Meloni says ahead of elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-10 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Italy’s far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, who is leading in opinion polls ahead of Sept. 25 parliamentary elections, insists she won’t be a danger to democracy if she becomes premier, contending that the Italian political right has “unambiguously” condemned the legacy of fascism. Meloni made the comments in a message recorded in English, French and Spanish, and distributed Wednesday by her campaign. Fratelli D'Italia party leader Giorgia Meloni at an election rally in Piazza Roma in Monza, Italy, on May 30. Meloni has been dogged by criticism that she has been ambiguous about denouncing Italy’s fascist past. Recent opinion polls have indicated Meloni’s support among eligible voters slightly ahead of her main rival in the election, Democratic Party leader Enrico Letta, a former premier.

☆ TORTURĂ în închisoare. Deținuții sunt loviți cu brutalitate de gardieni (IMAGINI REVOLTĂTOARE)
▼ + stars: | 2021-07-01 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Mai mulţi deţinuţi din penitenciarul Santa Maria Capua Vetere au fost bătuți cu bastoane și pumni și umiliţi de către gardienii. Incidentul a avut loc pe 6 aprilie 2020, însă abia acum au fost făcute publice imagini captate de camerele de supraveghere. Aceştia din urmă încearcă să se protejeze în timp ce trec printre gardieni, primind lovituri peste spate şi la cap, cu bastoane şi pumni. Ancheta vizează mai mult de 110 persoane în total, printre care şeful poliţiei din penitenciar, doi comisari şi trei inspectori. Matteo Salvini, liderul Ligii, a afirmat la postul de radio CRC că intenţionează să facă joi o vizită la închisoarea în cauză.

Persons: Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Marta Cartabia, Enrico Letta, Matteo Salvini Organizations: Parchetul, Agerpres, Partidului Democrat, Ligii Locations: Italia, Santa Maria, Peninsulă, Italiei

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