Baverez – The Italian miracle hanging on the future of Mario Draghi

Lhe year 2021 was that of the miracle of Italy, which abandoned its status as the sick man of Europe to become its locomotive. The Covid epidemic, with more than 140,000 dead, hit a bloodless and paralyzed country: on the one hand, the sequence of the sovereign debt crisis of 2011, waves of migrants, a historic recession of 8, 9% in 2020; on the other, a powerless democracy, caught in the crossfire of the populists of the 5 Star Movement and the League. In one year, the turnaround is complete. In terms of health, 76% of Italians have been fully vaccinated. Growth jumped to 6.5% and is expected to stand at 4.8% in 2022. Investment soared 16.3% and exports rose 15.1%, generating a trade surplus of 65 billion euros…