Reversing the Trend. Now!

I’m sharing in English this excellent post by Dr. Mondolfo, an international tax consultant, because it raises a critical issue. I’ll only add this: the trend you’ll read about below must be reversed immediately if Italy wants to create jobs, foster prosperity, and reclaim its rightful place as a great nation. This trend is alarming, to say the least.

In 2024, Italy once again "outdid itself," reaching a new record in foreign acquisitions (or sell-offs): 417 Italian companies were bought by foreign firms for a total of €34 billion.

This number adds to a decade-long series of operations that have seen the sale of 2,900 Italian companies for a total of €200 billion.

These figures, stripped of official statements and convenient narratives, reveal a far different reality from any supposed "Economic Boom." Italy is increasingly turning into a "market ripe for plunder," where its industrial and productive assets are systematically sold off, leaving behind a weakened economic fabric and an ever-diminishing economic sovereignty.

The reasons behind the influx of foreign capital snapping up Italian companies are, ironically, rooted in a paradox:?

Italy still boasts industrial excellence, renowned brands, and unique expertise but lacks the means to protect them.

The structural weaknesses of Italy’s system—crumbling infrastructure, suffocating bureaucracy, and often unbearable taxation—leave its entrepreneurial network vulnerable, making it an easy target for large international speculative groups.

Every sale represents a piece of national wealth being transferred abroad, contributing to an economic impoverishment that often translates into cultural impoverishment as well.

In this context, it’s hard to ignore the double standard at play. While other countries fiercely protect their strategic assets, imposing restrictions and limitations on acquisitions, Italy shows up to the global stage without a clear vision or the necessary tools to safeguard its interests.

Italy isn’t just losing wealth—it’s losing its ability to autonomously shape its economic future. Becoming an "economic colony" means being more exposed to pressures and manipulation from foreign powers. Those who own the companies also control the markets, technologies, infrastructures, and ultimately the destiny of the nation itself.

The paradox is that this happens while the public discourse is fixated on irrelevant matters. Italy remains the “sports bar” of the world: we complain, we argue passionately, and we feel like we’re part of the action, but meanwhile, someone in the shadows quietly takes everything away from us.

If there’s one lesson to take from these numbers, it’s that a course correction is urgently needed. The first step is admitting that this is a problem. The second is acting—implementing industrial policies that protect Italian excellence and strengthen the economic system.

That Italy of the 1980s—once called the "Garden of Europe"—was a nation that still possessed its authentic riches: love, cordiality, kindness, good humor. Today, that Italy has become a poor imitation of the “barbaric civilization” of a cutthroat, Yankee-style economic hell.

A sobering reflection indeed. Kudos to Dr. Mondolfo for this powerful commentary.