Orsini: Green Deal biggest hogwash ever, EU needs responsibility pact. On the manoeuvre: 'Let's work concretely with the government'.

"We owe the entrepreneurs an apology because we say things today that we said a year ago. In Europe we need a pact of social responsibility between all parties. And I say this as a convinced pro-European, so that it is not said that Orsini no longer believes in Europe. I believe in it', but a change of pace is needed. These were the words of Emanuele Orsini, president of Confindustria, speaking at the opening conference of the 42nd International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings, organised by Cersaie and currently taking place in Bologna.

"The Green Deal is the biggest crap we could do. When we do business, when we launch a product, we study the impact of the product. In Europe, there was no impact study of a measure that they thought of. So now we have to go and put things in place that have already been done,' Orsini said, emphasising that 'we have to put enterprise at the centre and to do that we need impact studies' on measures before they are implemented.

With regard to the manoeuvre, the president of Confindustria made it clear that 'we are working, I must say in a concrete way' with the government. On the part of the companies, 'there is a willingness to work and play their part,' especially since it has been realised that 'the Zes model has worked because it is easy, with 4.8 billion, 28 billion investment in the South, 35,000 hires. With regard to ceramics, Orsini stressed that 'this sector, which is energy-intensive, must transform itself to be less so, despite having invested 2 billion in air quality over the last 10 years. They are the best in the world, but nevertheless with carbon divestment we are out of competition, so Europe must review these chapters a little'.

Responding to those who asked him for details on Confindustria's request for an eight-billion-a-year plan to revitalise Italy, the president of Confindustria said: 'We are working in a concrete manner, today we also need to understand the resources left over from the NRP and the ability to reshape them. The Zes model in the south has worked, it has made the south a driving force for the north. When we are urged, we are there to improve'.

"We said that, in our opinion, the right policy is long-term. We do not get into the political part, but we do get into the fact that if there is development there is also capacity for distribution. Often,' recalled Orsini, 'we talk about low wages and to increase wages we need to do something simple,' namely 'contracts that go towards productivity and increase the productivity of our companies'. On these points, he added, 'we are in dialogue with the unions, we have already had several meetings, we will have another one to take stock'. However, 'in order to do this we need incentives and investments, because we must not forget that on the other side of the world they are quick, fast, and invest'.