Something Terrible Is Happening in Italy

[Your Old Comrade]

Italy is in trouble... but this doesn't seem to be a new thing. With mountainous protection from the north and great trade connections through the Mediterranean sea, Italy has been in an ideal geographic position that has benefitted the country economically for millennia. After a decade of stagnation, can Italy boom like it has in the past, or is this time different?

[Your Old Comrade]

Italy has a long history of greatness dating back to the Roman Empire. However the country is now a shadow of its former self. It's Economy whilst not in complete ruin has some large structural problems which are set to unfold. High Debt, Low Birthrates and Low productivity spell out a potential economic crisis in Italy. The country looks to move down international GDP rankings, and stagnant real wages have taken its toll on the public. Italy elected Giorgia Meloni in 2022, off the back of some strong economic promises but can she really fix all these issues?

A look at Italy's economic decline since the late 1990s. 10 Reasons why it is becoming the worst-performing developed economy.


https://www.economist.com/finance-and...
https://www.economist.com/europe/2023...
https://www.economist.com/special-rep...
https://www.economist.com/special-rep...
https://www.economist.com/special-rep...
https://economy2030.resolutionfoundat...
https://www.nber.org/papers/w23964

Italy's population has been shrinking since the 70s and Meloni has warned that the country is facing a "demographic winter". So in this video, we break down Italy's fertility crisis, Meloni's pro-natalist policies and whether they will solve the problem.