Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A lot of Americans like Donald Trump, a man running for President whose personality, politics and personal life is very similar to that of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. How well did Berlusconi govern Italy?
And Trump is just a carnival side-show, with no chance of the Presidency. The best he could hope for is to destroy the Republican party if he actually somehow got nominated.
The Italian economy was generally weak under Berlusconi, not that it matters. National leaders have little effect on economic cycles.
The Italian economy was generally weak under Berlusconi, not that it matters. National leaders have little effect on economic cycles.
Exactly.
The Italian economy began its stagnation/decline in the early 1990s, before Berlusconi burst onto the scene in 1994. He basically did nothing for the average Italian, but neither did others.
Interesting to note, the effective tax rate and the national/debt GDP ratio remained stable for most of the 17 years or so that Berlusconi was in or near power.
Italy was knocked into recession, even deep recession, in the aftermath of the 2008-2009 financial crisis and the national debt/GDP ratio increased rapidly as GDP decreased starting in 2010, I believe. The effective tax rate was increased, dramatically, but only after Berlusconi was defenestrated in 2011.
So the policy has been a sharp increase in taxation in the face of deep recession. Hmmmm.
Italy has been in recession four out of the last six or seven years - any growth last year, and any odd year over the past seven, was off a shrunken basis - and the entire global economy may enter recession this year, otherwise Italy might eke out some growth this year, again off a shrunken basis.
Young, energetic, intelligent Italians - markedly entrepreneurial and research types - have been leaving the country since the 1990s and the pace of the brain drain has accelerated since 2011.
Donald Trump and Silvio Berlusconi have one important thing in common: they are more a reflection of their critics and those who oppose them than they are of themselves and their supporters.
A lot of Americans like Donald Trump, a man running for President whose personality, politics and personal life is very similar to that of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. How well did Berlusconi govern Italy?
You cannot really compare U.S. conservative politicians, which are strong free-market supporters, with European conservative politicians, which are just right-wing or center-right welfare supporters.
Berlusconi tried to implement some long overdue pro-free market reforms in the first months of its very first term, and it was immediately overthrown because of that.
After that experience, it decided to just carry on, focusing mostly on its personal business interests and on pleasing the most powerful lobbies of the country in order to secure its re-election.
To make a long story short: Berlusconi let the country stagnate while taking care of its own business.
You cannot really compare U.S. conservative politicians, which are strong free-market supporters, with European conservative politicians, which are just right-wing or center-right welfare supporters.
Except Trump isn't a typical U.S. conservative politician; it's more similar to a European conservative politician in this regard. He's not particularly right-wing on cutting the size of government. He's said much more right-wing economic stuff recently, but that's to fit in with the Republican Party, he doesn't emphasis it much at all.
I live in Italy and the welfare state is kind of a mirage, really. There's nothing even remotely left-wing about Berlusconi, and in general the Italian government does not govern much.
I have not heard too many welfare-supporting speeches lately.
I live in Italy and the welfare state is kind of a mirage, really. There's nothing even remotely left-wing about Berlusconi, and in general the Italian government does not govern much.
I have not heard too many welfare-supporting speeches lately.
For the common men, yeah, it is a mirage.
That's because welfare benefits in Italy are not universal: they are reserved to the political-connected cliques.
For example, this year a new 3 euros tax on air fares has been introduced to finance the "cassa integrazione", i.e. the unemployment benefits for former air transport employees. These benefits reach the amount of more 10k Euro per months for some ex pilots, and can last for as long as 7 years.
That is one heck of a welfare, if you ask me!!!
Details here: (italian language) La tassa sui voli per pagare la cassa integrazione dei piloti - Corriere.it
The point is: Italy has a huge and costly welfare, but all the benefits goes to old people (pensions) and the politically-connected gangs.
The common non-yet-retired men do not see a dime, alas. And that's yet another shame for the Italian state and government
And Berlusconi, after an attempt very early in his political career to cut the public spending, he was ousted so he learnt to just mind its own business. He did virtually nothing, letting the country stagnate, for some 10 years and as a consequence he left the country in shambles on November 2011, when the interest rates on Italy's gigantic public debt sky-rocketed.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
