All clogged roads lead to Rome

摘要

"Let's fix it!" will be Italy's unofficial motto for the next 12 months. For 2016 will be the Year of Maintenance. Some things are going reasonably well. The economy is picking up a bit (growth will at least reach 1% for a change); unemployment is going down (if only towards 11%, from 12%). Some reforms are in place, in the jobs market, in education and the legislative system. But a lot more needs fixing: immigration, major cities, infrastructure, the tax system and public expenditure with its array of costly privileges. Take enit, the Italian tourist board: it spends the lion's share of its €l8m ($20m) budget on salaries, leaving only a small fraction for the actual promotion of tourism.