Taxis are nowhere to be found, and Italy is a global symbol of a “sluggish economy.”

Milan, December 26, 2023 – Italians who can't get a taxi in Milan are angry and a little embarrassed. This is not new anymore. But the person breaking the story of complicity in Italy's taxi chaos is a journalist Wall Street Journalwho thunders mercilessly on this Boxing Day with an article that establishes Italy is one of the unobtainable taxis As a symbol of a stagnant economy that does not keep up with its competitors.

Taxis are a symbol of a stagnant economy

“Find a taxi in Italian financial capital When it rains it involves long lines and patience. During trade shows and fashion shows It is even more difficult: demand increases, but the number of taxis remains unchanged. Even on sunny days, there are queues of suitcase-laden travelers desperately searching for a taxi at airports and train stations all over Italy. Many locals don't bother trying.” So begins Eric Silvers' article in the American newspaper, with a title that sounds roughly like this in Italian: Why can't the Italian economy take off? Let's look at the taxi queue.”. Thunder that shatters that implicit consensus and the poor tolerance that Italians endure every day when they struggle to find a free ride: the long and unnerving waiting times, the white cars that cannot be found, the keyboards that do not answer, the empty parking lots. When important events take place in the city, such as exhibitions or fashion shows, the number of taxis remains unchanged in the face of a surge in requests, creating real chaos.

Attention and lack of licenses cause underdevelopment

“The agonizing wait for taxis provides an idea of… 30 years of stagnation in the country“, followed by the subtitle of And sj, which focuses its analysis on why Italy has been unable to change its pace or align itself with other neighboring economies. According to the newspaper, the problem lies in the interests of taxi drivers themselves and the lack of usual licenses. “For years – we read in the article – Italian taxi drivers have protected themselves from competition by lobbying to limit the number of taxi licenses and Limit sharing companies like Uber. “And mayors who try to confront taxi drivers could face strikes and roadblocks that paralyze cities.” The fact that a group of professionals, driven by personal interests, has managed to block competition and innovation, is somewhat symbolic of this failed financial leap that Italy should have made. Check it already.

The Italian economy is stuck in 2007

The Wall Street Journal highlights how the Italian economy has barely grown in the past 30 years. compared to 2007, Italy is still stuck at a growth rate of 1.5% today This compares to 13% in France and 17% in Germany. If we then compare pre-financial crisis European data with US data, where it all started, we will find that the data is even more depressing, considering that it even reaches 28%.

Taxis and beach resorts: unworthiness in Italy

According to the newspaper, one of the main reasons for this Italian recession is “the power of interest groups that succeed in obstructing efforts to stimulate competition, innovation and productivity.” Therefore, a large part of this stagnation can be attributed to several factors: Firstly “Because of the prevailing lack of merit in the public and private sectors.” Not only taxis, but also Italian beaches Offer, according to And sj, a mural for the lack of merit and competition. Silvers thus touches on a topic that is particularly close to the current Italian government, namely that of seaside resorts. “Year after year – we read – the same companies pay public authorities a small fee for lucrative privileges to rent umbrellas and deck chairs to bathers. The European Union has complained about Lack of public tenders And the small revenues collected by the Italian government in exchange for these privileges. Italy's beach and taxi problems show that the country's problems are linked to bad laws, not an inherent lack of talent or entrepreneurship in the country.

The gender gap, the lack of young people and heroes

Finally, the Wall Street Journal's photo doesn't lack for some data on some of the systemic problems in our country, starting with the gender gap. In Italy, 55% of working-age women work, the lowest level in the European Union, according to the European Union Statistics Service. This compares to 80% in Germany and 71% in France. Italy is not a country that facilitates women's work, but it does not facilitate generational turnover either. In the eyes And sj “Ours is”A deep-rooted system that rewards seniority In terms of people skills, it also contributes to Italy's lack of economic progress. The result is that nearly 21% of Italians aged 15 to 34 do not have a job, are not studying or pursuing training, the highest figure in the European Union.

If this is the contradictory world that the American newspaper depicts, it is not surprising that it raises it as well That taxi driver from Bologna, who reported on his colleagues no pos Post your daily earnings on social media. Roberto Red Sox tore down the veil of silence and tried, in his own small way, to stir up the stagnation, this resistance to change he described And sj Which is holding Italy back. A kind of martyr, but in stagnant Italy he is an anti-hero.