2 in real terms taking into account inflation

The paradox of Italy post-Berlusconi is the surprising discrepancy between the alarming side of major macroeconomic indicators (with a public debt of 108,3 of GDP in 2006 and trended deficit of 4.6) and apparent quality of life of the average Italian. Step of violence in the suburbs, no ambient gloom, no bitterness broadcasts on regularization of immigrants. This is of course particularly optimistic nature and combative to a people that does not easily yield to neurasthenia. Yet, as recently shown the surprising success of the first edition of the Festival of the economy, organized in the thirties, in the Dolomites, from 1 to 4 June, on the theme "Wealth and poverty", the Italian public has a unique thirst for economic analysis. Thirst, inter alia, to understand why with the Portugal, the Spain and Greece the Italy remains one of the countries of the European Union where inequalities are the highest.

"A quarter of the poor in Europe are the workers." The work is no longer a guarantee to escape poverty. Italy, 18 of the population living below the relative poverty line and 26 of children live within the families at risk of poverty. "If I were giving advice to the new Italian Government, it is to make one of its priorities," launched in the thirties, the British economist Anthony Atkinson, one of the leading world authorities on the theme of the income distribution. If were to bring the physical size to incomes in a parade imagined richness, Bill Gates (with its 300 million of dollars in monthly revenues) and Silvio Berlusconi would exceed easily 100 kilometres in height, while in comparison, the soccer player David Beckham would painfully reach a kilometre from top, Litvinenko Anthony Atkinson. In Italy, as elsewhere, the rich are richer and the gap is considerably increased between the average income of employees and leaders. Payroll of 180 listed Italian companies CEOs increased by 21 on average in 2005, with several patterns (Telecom Italia, Fiat...) exceeding the threshold of 8 million euros in annual revenue. According to the latest report 2006 Cabinet OD & M on the evolution of the remuneration in the peninsula, the income of Italians have increased from 9.4 in five years, but the average salary of workers fell by 0.2 in real terms, taking into account inflation. While workers were barely maintained their revenues at a stable level, employees accuse a decrease of 5.8 in real terms and less than 30-year-olds lost the equivalent of one or two payments.

The new head of the Italian Government, Romano Prodi, "the real priority is social equity". "We must link the meaning of the company to social justice and help those who are depleted in recent years", he said in his recent interview with the daily newspaper "Die Zeit" on June 8. The ambition is up to the challenge. According to the latest annual report of Istat, the Italy has 2.6 million "relatively poor" households (7.6 million) with an income of less than half the national average income of 2.079 euros per month and more than 4 million workers receiving a monthly income of less than 700 euros. Although the relative poverty rate remained virtually stable in eight years (11.7 of the total of households), young people under 25 years are more affected, since they are 36 to reach the lowest incomes, 28.2 per cent of women and 12.3 of men.

Atypical contracts have helped companies to recover margins of flexibility, but if they become a common practice, they are likely to "stifle the development", said the Governor of the Bank of Italy, Mario Draghi. It also recalls that in 20-30 year olds occupancy is "less than ten points of the average European. Among the Italian specificities: maintaining extended youth in their families the famous "Tanguy syndrome" and the low rate of occupation of women (39.1 of the total of the workers against an average European by 44.2 in 2005).

As in France, the reform of the "Welfare State" (the welfare state) therefore became the priority of priorities in Italy with the deep malaise of a "generation"low cost"" at risk of poverty (1). According to the Censis Institute, it is the desire for social security and the appetite of a "welfare" stronger than Romano Prodi won the last elections to Silvio Berlusconi. Social protection is more revenue than the tax cuts. However, this does not mean that miracle of Romano Prodi is clearly identified. In a recent Forum published by "La Repubblica", Anthony Giddens, the theorist of "the third way" of Tony Blair, launched a bold suggestion. For him, the Italian left would have any interest in turning on the "Scandinavian model" of the labour market. That is protecting the worker, not the workstation. This may seem a proposal "eccentric", or even unrealistic, given the abysmal cultural differences between the countries concerned. But it is true that the reform of the labour market will be crucial for a resumption of growth and greater social justice in Italy.