A MORE MODERN, AND MORE PRO-FAMILY ITALY

By Pierferdinando Casini and - - Reprint | | Print |

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ROME, Apr 1 2006 (IPS) - The House of Liberty alliance has led Italy through one of the most difficult periods of its history, writes Pierferdinando Casini, President of the House of Deputies and leader of the Union of the Democratic Centre, which is a member of the House of Liberty alliance. In this article, Casini writes that the Italy of today is not the same we inherited in 2001 from the centre-left. No one can pretend not to see the roots of a country that is more modern and advanced and that the House of Liberty planted in this legislature. Only by making the markets truly competitive can we provide a sufficient stimulus to business to improve efficiency and open industry to internationalism. But completing the process of liberalising the markets means above all cutting the cost of services: this is the goal we must measure ourselves by, and which has the greatest impact on the quality of life of the citizens. The core of our strategy for the country is family, first and foremost. The birthrate of Italy is the lowest in the European Union except for Germany. This figure reflects a profound discontent. Our goal is to introduce a system whereby the more children you have, the less taxes you pay.

The House of Liberty alliance has led Italy through one of the most difficult periods of its history. It ran headlong into the consequences of the most dramatic change ever registered in a single day. The attacks of September 11 have certainly left their mark on certain fundamentals of the world economy. The stock markets were able to recover from the shock in a relatively brief time, demonstrating the free and democratic world’s extraordinary capacity to react. But it is also true that the price of oil has since tripled.

Still the consequences of those developments — which were followed by attacks in Madrid, London, Bali, and Sharm el-Sheik — cannot be measured with economic indicators alone. In these years, all of contradictions of our times have exploded.

Insecurities and fears have reemerged. Two wars were fought. In Afghanistan and Iraq two brutal and backwards dictatorships were overthrown. The restoration of self-determination to the people of those countries is following a dramatic course in which Italy has chosen to play an active part, courageously assuming responsibility as part of a peace initiative that is bearing concrete fruit and which, I am certain, our coalition can claim as one of the most farsighted and just decisions taken in the interests of the country.

Italy is one of the world’s major industrial powers, whether in terms of production capacity and capitalisation, or its culture, its natural and artistic patrimony, and the vitality of its local traditions.

However we cannot hide the difficulties that our country is passing through. While they should be viewed in the context of a lacklustre period for the economy of Europe, there are certain specific features. Since 1996, when the centre-left government took power, Italy has been dramatically losing market share in world trade.

However, no one can argue that the Italy of today is the same we inherited in 2001 from the centre-left. No one can pretend not to see the roots of a country that is more modern and advanced and that the House of Liberty planted in this legislature. And we can take pride of the core values that inspired these improvements: giving priority to the needs of all rather than the needs of a few; protecting the country as a whole to prevent it from being ripped apart by selfishness and special interests; rejecting whenever possible legislation generated by pressure from individuals or a given business interest.

One of the objectives the country set for itself was achieved: respecting the parameters of Maastricht which made it possible for Italy to be part of the first group to join the monetary union. But the other objective –the liberalisation of the market– thus far has not been reached. The siren song of a return to the past has already captured certain elements of the left. We, in contrast, prefer to look ahead, with the understanding that only by making the markets truly competitive can we provide a sufficient stimulus to business to improve efficiency and open industry to internationalism. But completing the process of liberalising the markets means above all cutting the cost of services: this is the goal we must measure ourselves by, and which has the greatest impact on the quality of life of the citizens.

The House of Liberty has initiated a major project of modernising education. We wanted to give families greater choice, greater freedom, and greater quality. Today in both public and private schools our children can shape their own educational trajectory in a balanced manner, learn foreign languages earlier and better, and enjoy more extra-curricular activities that provide new opportunities to socialise and grow.

The core of our strategy for the country is family first and foremost. The birthrate of Italy is the lowest in the European Union except for Germany. This figure reflects a profound discontent and indicates that the birth of a child is not the occasion for a joy that no other event can provide. Too many families are forced to forego this fundamental right because of the costs connected with birth and a lack of social services. In this context, our goal is to introduce a system whereby the more children you have, the less taxes you pay.

This is an idea that brings together our ideas on the family and on finance, social cohesion and economic development. Under this model, which has been used successfully in France, the tax savings for a family would never be less than 22 percent. It represents a fiscal policy that is more equitable as well as a clear incentive for young people to have a family and, ultimately, for a demographic comeback. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS)