Italy Battles Energy Costs and Staff Shortages in Uniformed Services

Italy's political and economic scene is currently focused on the effects of adopting an energy decree, which allocates over 5 billion euros to support families and businesses. This initiative has triggered a sharp reaction from financial markets; shares of energy sector companies on the Milan stock exchange recorded significant declines. Experts from Goldman Sachs point to increased investment risk in the country, a direct result of the planned increase in the IRAP tax and the introduction of electricity tariff reduction mechanisms. The European Commission has already announced a detailed analysis of these regulations for compliance with EU law. In the area of internal security, the priority has become combating crime in large cities. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi inaugurated a new Polmetro station at Rome's Termini station, which is intended to improve passenger safety on the metro. Concurrently, the ministry signed an agreement with the authorities of the Lazio region, under which social housing recovered from illegal occupants will be handed over to uniformed service personnel. This is intended to be a pilot program for revitalizing neglected outskirts of the capital and strengthening the state's presence there. The Italian economy has struggled for years with the problem of high public debt and low growth dynamics, forcing successive governments to balance between social spending and the budget discipline imposed by Brussels.The situation is further complicated by alarming reports about the staffing levels of Italian security forces. The General Commander of the Carabinieri, Salvatore Luongo, reported a deficit of over 10,000 officers. Minister Piantedosi admitted that this problem has been growing for decades and affects all uniformed formations. The government is considering establishing a voluntary reserve of 15,000 people to fill the personnel gaps limiting the operational capacity of services in the field. On the international stage, the Governor of the Bank of Italy, Fabio Panetta, warned that a growth model based on low wages and employment growth is unsustainable in the long term due to the demographic crisis. He advocates accelerating digitalization and implementing artificial intelligence as the only path to a lasting increase in GDP. „Un modello di crescita fondato sull'espansione dell'occupazione e dei salari contenuti non è sostenibile, alla luce delle tendenze demografiche.” (A growth model based on expanding employment and contained wages is not sustainable in light of demographic trends.) — Fabio Panetta