Owners of small- and
medium-sized businesses rallied Tuesday in a popular piazza in
Rome, saying they cannot endure more economic troubles and
calling for government help.
"Enough, enough, enough," chanted the group in Piazza del
Popolo, including artisans, owners of small businesses, and the
self-employed who say they cannot go on trying to do business in
a crisis environment.
"Piazza del Popolo has today become the square of Italian
entrepreneurs," shouted Giacomo Basso, leader of the group
Casartigiani.
"Hear our cry, because a square filled with artisans and
merchants is worth a hundred speeches".
The rally comes just days after a report was released
showing that approximately 134,000 small businesses have gone
bankrupt in Italy since the start of the global crisis in 2008.
Italy has gone through a double-dip recession, the second
part of which was the worst economic slowdown in the post-war
period.
The study by the Mestre branch of artisan and small
business association CGIA said these people are especially
vulnerable because in Italy they are not eligible for
unemployment benefits or income support when they find
themselves out of work.
Luca Squeri, an MP with the centre-right Forza Italia
party, called Tuesday's rally "incredible" and said what
business needs is lower taxes, less bureaucracy, free credit and
labour market regulations.
Stefano Fassina, an MP with the Democratic Party (PD), said
Premier-Designate Matteo Renzi, leader of the PD, is interested
and will implement economic policies to help business.
"We are here to listen...the manufacturing base of this
country is understandably exasperated, it needs answers and
(Renzi's) transition government must put more energy on
answers," said Fassina in a radio interview with Radio Città
Futura.
Fassina said Renzi wants to "negotiate" with the European
Union a temporary easing on certain economic rules to give
Italian business some help on pulling out of the recession.
EU rules require Italy and other countries to limit their
debt-to-GDP ratio at or below 3%.
Italian officials have been working to meet that and other
requirements so as to obtain permission from the EU to use a
clause in its rules that allows for greater investment spending.
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