Can Monti do it

amacca

So, can Mario Monti organize a new Italian Government that will manage to push through the type of Austerity the "markets" want to see

Personally........I'm not hugely confident.

V_Moth

amacca wrote: »

So, can Mario Monti organize a new Italian Government that will manage to push through the type of Austerity the "markets" want to see

Personally........I'm not hugely confident.

I don't think so either. It is just another "solution" to this crisis by Merkozy.

On a side issue, it is amazing how easy it was for the EU to appoint this puppet government. Democracy, who gives a toss? :mad:

View

V_Moth wrote: »

I don't think so either. It is just another "solution" to this crisis by Merkozy.

On a side issue, it is amazing how easy it was for the EU to appoint this puppet government. Democracy, who gives a toss? :mad:

The Italians do since it was the democratically elected Italian Parliament acting in accordance with the provisions of the Italian constitution who elected him Prime Minister.

I appreciate that individuals who hate to see democratically elected parliaments making democratic decisions they disagree with must be upset by this but I doubt you'll find many Italians in favour of you or anyone else having a veto over the decisions of their Parliament.

Amberman

Lets say he does succeed. Here are a few questions...

1. How does austerity affect debt dynamics?
2. What happens to tax revenues when taxes are raised to painful levels?
3. What happens to tax revenues when hundreds of thousands of public sector workers are laid off?
4. When these layoffs happen, what happens to private sector employment?

Even if he pushes through all the austerity measures perfectly, on time, with no lost productivity due to strikes, Italys situation doesn't improve much and could actually get worse. See Greece for an example of that.

RDM_83 again

This article here has something interesting to say about Monti and corporate influence, indicates a possibly very worrying situation arising if these new leaders don't break completely from their corporate pasts.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/what-price-the-new-democracy-goldman-sachs-conquers-europe-6264091.html#

joseph brand

RDM_83 again wrote: »

This article here has something interesting to say about Monti and corporate influence, indicates a possibly very worrying situation arising if these new leaders don't break completely from their corporate pasts.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/what-price-the-new-democracy-goldman-sachs-conquers-europe-6264091.html#

Just reading that article now. Very interesting.

Here's more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/20/williams-jon-corzines-reckless-governance/

AlekSmart

joseph brand wrote: »

Just reading that article now. Very interesting.

Here's more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/20/williams-jon-corzines-reckless-governance/

I propose Peter Sutherland for Árd Rí na hEireann.....a Brian Boru for the 21st Century....;)

The Corinthian

amacca wrote: »

So, can Mario Monti organize a new Italian Government that will manage to push through the type of Austerity the "markets" want to see

Personally........I'm not hugely confident.

When considering anything in Italian politics, I tend to turn to the line by Mussolini; "governare gli italiani non è difficile, ma inutile" ("to govern the Italians is not difficult, but pointless").

It comes down to whether he can negotiate the Byzantine network of invested groups and they in turn are willing to cede, in many cases, the previously unthinkable, out of self-interest, because the alternative is much worse.

And no one has an answer to that question. Then again, we managed to come out of the anni di piombo, much to everyone's surprise, so who knows?