Knowledge as the basis for decisions and grow
An intervention by the Governor of Italy’s Central Bank is an example of a lucid analysis of reality that helps citizens and firms
Having to hand the most reliable description possible of the current reality and, as such, being able to make careful and prudent choices; that is, using knowledge to decide, to reference a statement made decades ago by Luigi Einaudi. This guidance is perhaps more valid now than ever. For this reason, it is instructive to read – and carefully – the speech by the Governor of the Bank of Italy, Fabio Panetta, as part of the “Travelling with the Bank of Italy” series of events, dedicated in particular to the economy of the country’s southern regions.
Eppur si muove: l’economia del Mezzogiorno dopo la crisi (And Yet it Moves: the Post-Crisis Economy of the South), from September 19, 2024, is a lucid account of the evolution of the economy and the results of southern Italy compared to the rest of the country. It is an account that counters false information – namely that the south is unable to achieve good economic results. Of course, the gap remains, but Panetta illustrates how in recent times “the expansion of the southern economy” has begun to emerge and make itself felt. The Governor writes: “In the period following the pandemic, the south achieved better results than the entire Italian economy”. Positive signs, often much more positive than those coming from the centre and north, have been recorded across all economic, social and institutional sectors of the south.
Panetta warns: “These positive trends must be taken with caution. They are indications, not proof, of a possible improvement in the competitiveness of the southern economy. They could also be temporary or episodic in nature, and would in any case be insufficient to bridge the profound territorial gaps that I described above. At the same time, we cannot neglect them. They show the existence of development potential in the south that could be unleashed with the appropriate policies.” In other words, this implies not only a significant focus on the topic but significant commitment to “ensuring the recovery continues (…) by supporting and strengthening these trends”. What is needed is good politics, careful institutions and good businesses, women and men aware of their role and the commitment required. Obviously there remains much to do.
Fabio Panetta’s speech contains a great lesson: the value of knowing reality, which then becomes an instrument for responsible choices, but also for development.
Eppur si muove: l’economia del Mezzogiorno dopo la crisi (And Yet it Moves: the Post-Crisis Economy of the South)
Fabio Panetta
In viaggio con la Banca d’Italia Il polso dell’economia – il Mezzogiorno (Travelling with the Bank of Italy The Pulse of the Economy – the South*)
Catania, September 19 2024
An intervention by the Governor of Italy’s Central Bank is an example of a lucid analysis of reality that helps citizens and firms
Having to hand the most reliable description possible of the current reality and, as such, being able to make careful and prudent choices; that is, using knowledge to decide, to reference a statement made decades ago by Luigi Einaudi. This guidance is perhaps more valid now than ever. For this reason, it is instructive to read – and carefully – the speech by the Governor of the Bank of Italy, Fabio Panetta, as part of the “Travelling with the Bank of Italy” series of events, dedicated in particular to the economy of the country’s southern regions.
Eppur si muove: l’economia del Mezzogiorno dopo la crisi (And Yet it Moves: the Post-Crisis Economy of the South), from September 19, 2024, is a lucid account of the evolution of the economy and the results of southern Italy compared to the rest of the country. It is an account that counters false information – namely that the south is unable to achieve good economic results. Of course, the gap remains, but Panetta illustrates how in recent times “the expansion of the southern economy” has begun to emerge and make itself felt. The Governor writes: “In the period following the pandemic, the south achieved better results than the entire Italian economy”. Positive signs, often much more positive than those coming from the centre and north, have been recorded across all economic, social and institutional sectors of the south.
Panetta warns: “These positive trends must be taken with caution. They are indications, not proof, of a possible improvement in the competitiveness of the southern economy. They could also be temporary or episodic in nature, and would in any case be insufficient to bridge the profound territorial gaps that I described above. At the same time, we cannot neglect them. They show the existence of development potential in the south that could be unleashed with the appropriate policies.” In other words, this implies not only a significant focus on the topic but significant commitment to “ensuring the recovery continues (…) by supporting and strengthening these trends”. What is needed is good politics, careful institutions and good businesses, women and men aware of their role and the commitment required. Obviously there remains much to do.
Fabio Panetta’s speech contains a great lesson: the value of knowing reality, which then becomes an instrument for responsible choices, but also for development.
Eppur si muove: l’economia del Mezzogiorno dopo la crisi (And Yet it Moves: the Post-Crisis Economy of the South)
Fabio Panetta
In viaggio con la Banca d’Italia Il polso dell’economia – il Mezzogiorno (Travelling with the Bank of Italy The Pulse of the Economy – the South*)
Catania, September 19 2024