ROME: Outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti’s unorthodox bid to stay in power after the February elections is based on an economic program entitled “Change Italy and reform Europe.”
Here are some key points from the 25-page agenda, which aims to further reforms begun during Monti’s 13 months as head of a technocrat government.
Europe: The cornerstone issue of the program, the aim is to continue with the road map already in place, both in terms of growth and the reinforcement of instruments to stabilize the sovereign bond market. The objective: “A more integrated and united Europe, against growing popularism.”
LABOUR: Modernization and simplification of the labor market, tackling short-term contracts and high unemployment figures particularly among the young, with incentives in particular for the under 30s.
GROWTH: Boosting competitiveness, busting open small business lobbies and liberalizing professions. The objective would be to balance the budget in 2013 without increasing public debt, which would then be reduced by five percent a year from 2015.
TAX: A highly unpopular housing tax brought back in by the Monti’s government may be revised but would certainly not be abolished. Estate and luxury goods taxes would be brought in to ease fiscal pressure on businesses and income taxes.
TAX EVASION: “Zero tolerance for corruption, tax evasion and the underground economy” says Monti. It is not the state that steals from the people, but “some Italian citizens who take money from the pockets of other Italian citizens.”
BUSINESSES: Monti wants to raise the level of foreign investment in Italy to match the European average.
COST OF POLITICS: Party and parliamentary financing should be slashed and red tape reduced. “The biggest cost in politics comes from not taking decisions,” he said.
JUSTICE: An end to personally tailored laws (following years of allegations that former premier Silvio Berlusconi altered laws to help him in his legal battles), as well as new legislation on conflicts of interest and wiretapping.
FAMILY: Benefits for families and incentives to help reverse Italy’s low birth rate, one of the lowest in the Western world.
Monti’s agenda: ‘Change Italy and reform Europe’
