Renzi: “Investments for digital out of the Stability Pact”

“Each single euro we invest in digital infrastructures needs to be written off” the Stability Pact. The Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, reiterated again his call for loosening austerity measures in Europe from Venice, where he took part at ‘Digital Venice’ – event organised by the Italian Presidency Semester for discussing the digital agenda.

Renzi invited to put aside the derby “between flexibility and austerity, which is ideological.” According to the PM, “ideas will save Europe, not limitations.” It is hence necessary to release resources for investments, and “investing in digital means investing in the future.”

The President in charge of the EU28 pointed out that “we are making the reforms we promised.” Without them in fact, as underlined by the ‘austerity team’, there won’t be any flexibility. Still, Renzi reiterated that “if I invest in digital infrastructure, I invest in the future, and this is not a cost.” For sure “European recommendations” are to be respected, but this need to be coupled with the need of “helping people.”

The proposals Italy brought about “for the telecommunications market” in Europe “are a single digital marked and a single Authority,” said Renzi. The support of the TLC area, he explained, is necessary for developing “democracy in Europe.” The democratization process, he added, “wil be possible only if supported by ICT with cyber security, open-data platforms, open government and transparency.”

Technology appeared as sort of panacea in Renzi’s speech. Still, it is necessary for something quite urgent: relaunching employment, youth employment in particular. “The first thing we need to do,” said the Prime Minister, “is creating jobs for youth people, and the TLC area is the one creating the highest number of jobs.”

And again, back to an old good mantra Renzi loves: transforming Italy for transforming Europe. Italy needs “to stop complaining, it needs to change its face, its attitude.” Even more, “with a technological term,” it needs “to change its interface.” The Prime Minster underlined that his government “will be 100% committed” in this to happen. If they make it, he added, “Italy will become leader in the next 20 years,” and “will be able to change Europe.” In the meantime, the derby between austerity and flexibility is still in progress.