With Lorenzo Guerini and Armando Varricchio, the webinar organized by AmCham Italy together with Comin & Partners to present the research “Transatlantic Scenarios”. Here are the opportunities to relaunch relations between Italy and the United States and to make the Peninsula the protagonist of a new season between the two sides of the Atlantic (with Biden)
160 years after the start of diplomatic relations between Italy and the United States, the need for economic restart imposed by Covid-19 offers an opportunity to relaunch transatlantic relations, including on new technologies and digital. It is the framework offered by the minister Lorenzo Guerini and by the Italian ambassador to Washington Armando Varricchio, protagonists of the webinar organized by AmCham Italy together with Comin & Partners to present the results of the survey conducted with some of the CEOs of the most important associated companies to outline the priorities on the transatlantic axis. After the introductory greetings by Robert Needham, consul general of the United States in Milan, e Luca Arnaboldi, president of AmCham Italia, Simone Crolla e Gianluca Comin presented the research “Transatlantic scenarios”. Then the round table, with Leopoldo Attolico, country officer di Citi, Paolo Fiorelli, the title of MBE Worldwide, Fabio Giambelli, country general manager di Dow, Angela Natale, president of Boeing Italia, e Maurizio Taglietti, general manager MetLife.
THE OPPORTUNITY
A fil-rouge linked the various interventions: there is the right opportunity to relaunch transatlantic relations. It is offered by the license plate administration Joe Biden, but also by the common need for economic restart imposed by Covid-19. On this, there are numerous convergences between the priorities identified by the US administration and those contained in the PNRR of the government led by Mario Draghi, explained Ambassador Varricchio, in his final remarks from Washington in view of the transfer to Berlin (in the USA it will arrive the ambassador Mariangela Zappia). Digitization and green transition represent the common track identified by the United States and Italy to overcome the pandemic, and the relaunch of the transatlantic relationship can run on this.
CONVERGENT PLANS
The image chosen by Varricchio is the 1947 journey of Alcide De Gasperi. Today as then, the ambassador explained, “Italy looks to the United States”, aware that “an essential role is played by the world of the economy”, in a “virtuous relationship between institutions and businesses”. Unlike the Marshall Plan, however, “this time Europe is not only a beneficiary, but starts with a great plan that looks to the future”. And if “the US administration looks to the reconstruction of the American economy” with the aim of growing “up to 6% of GDP”, then “our goal, as Europeans and Italians, is to ensure that the program can take shape keeping the markets open and avoiding protectionist temptations ”.
THE VALUE OF THE ITALY-US RELATIONSHIP
On this convergence between European and American projects, Italy can play a leading role, considering the “privileged relationship with the United States” described by Minister Guerini. For this reason, “it is essential to keep the transatlantic relationship at the center of the debate in civil society”, avoiding “the risk of taking it for granted”. Also because “the attempts of other international actors to declare it outdated are known,” said Guerini. On the other hand, this shows that the post-Covid-19 world is more complex than the previous, more competitive context, populated with entirely new challenges.
THE DIMENSION OF THE DEFENSE
In this sense, “the dialogue between the United States and Europe cannot ignore the defense and security dimension”, to be extended to include new technologies, cyber and digital. And so, “even today we can confirm the relevance and topicality of the Atlantic Alliance as the framework of our collective security and defense, called to a difficult task – said Guerini – to evolve to face new challenges while remaining at the same temple, a defense of the values that , we have been defending for seventy-two years ”. And if “competitors want to erode our technological and competitive advantage”, the minister remarked, then “the solidity of commercial and entrepreneurial relations becomes central to the resilience of our countries”. On this, we look to “future opportunities for collaborations”.
THE MARGINS FOR STRENGTHENING
There are margins, as shown by the numbers of the research by AmCham Italy and Comin & Partners, conducted by addressing eight questions to 56 multinationals (36 American and twenty Italian). In 2020, the year of Covid, Italy’s exports to the US fell by 13.5%, much less than other economic indicators, testifying to a “resilient” relationship. The trade balance remains positive for Italy, which sells goods and services to the United States for 49.5 billion dollars and buys for 19.9 billion. Numbers destined to grow. 55% of respondents positively rate the state of transatlantic relations with a “high degree” of trust in the Biden administration. The main themes to strengthen collaboration are: trade, digital economy, innovation and sustainability. The areas on which greater coordination between the US and the EU is needed are: health emergency, economic recovery, defense and security. As for the bilateral relationship with the United States, one of the issues on which our country must focus are collaborations in the technological field.
THE COMPANY’S INPUTS
On this, “2021 offers a more favorable scenario for business,” he said Attolico of Citi, noting that “it is illusory to think that the improvement of economic flows is possible without a better alignment from a political point of view and reference values”. And therefore, he added Fiorelli (MBE Worldwide), it is reassuring to “feel that Italy is pro-European and Atlanticist”. It is also so in light of the 160 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, he recalled Christmas (Boeing Italy), noting that the bilateral relationship has been particularly fruitful in the aerospace sector and that it may still be so in the future, between new technologies and the ecological transition involving aviation. There remains the concern, described by Taglietti (MetLige), for the forecasts of “Italian low growth”, accompanied however by the “reassurance” on the value of the transatlantic relationship. Second Giambelli (Dow), there is a “historic opportunity” offered by post-pandemic recovery plans. The pillars on which to start again, he concluded, are “security, interests and values”.