Social discontent mounting in Italy amid socio-economic crisis due to pandemic
Max Civili
Press TV, Rome
New protests have been held in Italy's capital Rome as tens of thousands of workers fear losing their occupation. More than 500,000 jobs have been lost in Italy since the start of the pandemic last year.
The socio-economic malaise that has been worsened by the COVID crisis is erupting at an unprecedented level everywhere in Italy. Many hundreds large and small-scale protests have been held across the country over the past months.
On Wednesday, thousands of street vendors staged a protest against a city decision to stop the extension of their licenses.
They blocked the capital's ring road and occupied the central Republic Square as tens of thousands of itinerant street trading businesses are at risk of closure due to an EU directive on free trade.
Also on Wednesday, pilots, flight attendants and other airline industry workers gathered in central Rome to stage a protest against a rescue plan to save the bankrupt former national airline Alitalia.
The airline is running out of cash for fuel and salaries and workers fear some 7,000 employees will be sacked if a buyout offer by a group of investors gets the green light from the government.
Recently, Italy's parliament has overwhelmingly approved the government's European Union-funded pandemic recovery plan worth 248 billion euros. Prime Minister Draghi has pledged the plan would address both the damage caused by COVID and the country’s long-standing structural issues.
Italy is at a crossroads. There is the risk that the pandemic may turn into an unprecedented socio-economic crisis that will drag on for a very long time. But Italians also have the opportunity to use the funds from a vigorous stimulus package of the EU to re-launch employment and growth. It remains to be seen if the country will succeed in this process.
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