Censis: for 30% of Italians, autocratic regimes are better suited to governing today

"We have entered a savage age of iron and fire, of predators and prey. And the great political game changes its rules, favouring now challenge, now unlimited prevarication. This is why 62% of Italians believe that the European Union has no decisive role in global games. 53% believe it is destined to be marginalised in a world where force and aggression win, rather than the law and authority of international bodies. For 74%, the American way of life is no longer a socio-cultural model, once to be imitated and now unrecognisable. Will we die post-American? 55% believe that the momentum of progress in the West has run out and now belongs to China and India. 39% believe that disputes between the great powers are now resolved through armed conflicts, the outcome of which will set the boundaries of the new world order'. And finally: '30% share an unprecedented conviction: autocracies are better suited to the spirit of the times'. The picture that emerges from the 59th Censis report, published on Friday 5 December, gives pause for thought as usual. The report is a sort of compass that helps outline the characteristics of Italians in the current phase, characterised by security threats, starting with the international crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, and increasingly complex challenges.

With regard to the situation of public accounts, "we are no longer the only sick person in Europe. A shock for Europe's public finances similar to that experienced during the health emergency is looming. The huge debt and the low growth, linked to the ageing and reduction of the active population, conspire for an inevitable downsizing of welfare," Censis points out, pointing out the record Italian debt and the enormous expenditure for interest (which "exceed spending on hospital services and the entire value of public investments and amount to more than 10 times what Italy spends in a year on environmental protection". Hence the conclusion of the reasoning: 'Without welfare societies become incubators of aggression and without social peace democracies falter. For 81% of Italians, it is time to punish the web giants that escape taxation'.

The industrial production index has been negative for thirty-two consecutive months with the exception of three tentative rebounds. In particular, manufacturing production fell in 2023 (-1.6 %), in 2024 (-4.3 %) and also in the first nine months of this year (-1.2 %). Will the long industrial autumn slide into the icy winter of deindustrialisation? Among the sectors suffering the most, which are in danger of disappearing forever? In 2024 only foodstuffs recorded an increase in production: +1.9%. Textiles and clothing dropped by 11.8%, transport equipment by 10.6%, mechanics by 6.4%, metallurgy by 4.7%, pharmaceuticals by 1.7%. Only four industries (electronics, food, pharmaceuticals, wood and paper) show signs of recovery in 2025. At the same time, in the first nine months of the year, the manufacture of arms and ammunition showed an increase of 31.0% compared to last year.

78.5% of Italians fear that they would not be able to count on adequate health and welfare services if they were not self-sufficient. The same applies to environmental risks: 72.3% believe that, in the event of extreme weather events or natural disasters, financial aid from the State would be insufficient. Consequently, the Censis report states, 54.7% declare themselves willing to allocate up to 70 euros per month to protect themselves against the risk of non-self-sufficiency, damage caused by climate change or other adverse events. 52.3% believe they can restructure their consumption, reducing some expenses to allocate what they save to the purchase of insurance instruments (life, health, non-self-sufficiency). Willingness, however, does not translate into concrete behaviour: 70.0% of Italians are not doing anything financially or in terms of insurance to protect themselves in the event of non-self-sufficiency. Only 10.7% say they are ready to resort to insurance policies to deal with this eventuality. The majority choose alternative solutions: 37.2% simply say they will think about it if and when it happens, 34.5% will resort to savings, 22.0% will count on public welfare, 19.9% on the help of family members, 14.7% on friends and volunteers.

43.2% of pensioners regularly provide financial aid to children, grandchildren or relatives. 61.8% have made (or intend to make in the future) a financial contribution to their children or grandchildren to meet important expenses, such as an advance on a house purchase. On the other hand, 54.2% of Italians believe it is fair to index to inflation even pensions worth more than 2,500 euros gross: an idea that reflects the awareness that pensions are not excessive annuities because they also support children and grandchildren. Long-living Italians appear sober in the management of resources: 94.2% are cautious in their spending and tend to save to cope with possible illnesses or conditions of non self-sufficiency, 89.7% declare themselves careful in the management of their savings because of the persistent economic uncertainty, 82.2% exercise careful and constant control over the family budget, monitoring income and expenditure. The willingness of many elderly people to remain active even after retirement is also recorded: 72.6% of current pensioners would like to be able to continue working, but without tax penalties.