Confindustria, Orsini to EU Commission and governments: immediate answers to save European industry
Industry leader's interview with Politico: a common theme is achieving sustainable energy costs
"European industry needs immediate answers from the EU Commission and governments, otherwise deindustrialisation will soon become a concrete reality. We are in an economic emergency situation'. Emanuele Orsini, president of Confindustria, issued this warning in an interview with Politico.
Energy Priority
Energy is the top priority weighing on the competitiveness of Italian and European industry, especially after the US attack on Iran sent prices soaring. 'A common theme for all is the achievement of sustainable energy costs,' said Orsini, who has been at the forefront of Italy's push to suspend the Ets mechanism. A European decision still to be taken, despite the call from ten countries for an immediate change to the system, along with the easing of energy bills.
Deindustrialisation risk
The risk is that entire industrial districts could disappear, all over Europe: the president of Confindustria cited the example of the ceramics district, where 40,000 workers could lose their jobs by 2030. "It will be a social problem," emphasised Orsini, who a few days ago, on a mission to Brussels, met the executive vice presidents of the Commission Teresa Ribera, Stéphane Séjourné and Raffaele Fitto, as well as the president of the EU Parliament, Roberta Metsola. "It is rather short-sighted to think that some European countries can go ahead, leaving others behind, because Europe is strong if all European countries are strong," said the number one of Confindustria, stressing that the integration of the Union's energy and capital markets is a promising solution for the EU to work on.
Rome and Berlin and the Relationship with China
The solution of allowing European countries to give money to their industries is a bad idea, because it inevitably creates inequality between countries with different fiscal capacities. Italy, he pointed out, is burdened with public debt and is at a disadvantage compared to Germany. With the Germans, Italia has strengthened ties in recent times, a phenomenon that is reflected in the relationship between their industries, which according to Orsini are 'similar'.
One aspect on which Rome and Berlin disagree, however, concerns relations with China, with Germany reluctant to over-protect European production, according to Orsini. "A question we have to ask ourselves is: can Germany do without Italia? Do we want to replace Italia or other EU countries with Chinese components?" asked Orsini. Measures to protect Made in Europe and curb Chinese investments are at the heart of the Industrial Accelerator Act. The EU, said Orsini, has given industry its due. But it is not the quick fix needed to avoid deindustrialisation in Europe, and he criticised the proposal for lack of speed and increased bureaucracy.
