The well-known British weekly Economist has no doubts. Italy is the country of the year 2021. The choice fell on our country, according to the magazine, due to the policies undertaken in recent months by the Prime Minister Mario Draghi. The premier is described as a politician "competent and respected internationally". His government supported by "a large majority of politicians who have put aside their differences to support a program of profound reforms".
A recognition that cannot fail to please the executive. In general to a country that has been right from the start among those most affected by the pandemic. Today he represents one of the most advanced in the vaccination campaign.
Economy and pandemic: the reasons forEconomist
Its the response to the coronavirus, which today allowed Italy to be one of the countries with the highest vaccination rate in Europe: to make a comparison, while in the Peninsula the percentage of vaccinated with at least one dose is over 88%, in the United Kingdom this share it stops just above 75%.
Another factor that pushed theEconomist to recognize our country as the best of the last twelve months is economic growth, which has always been a weak point of Italy. Instead, the so-called National Recovery and Resilience Plan, launched by the Draghi government with the aim of addressing the economic consequences of the pandemic, is having a very positive outcome. A faster recovery is being achieved through this plan than that of giants such as Germany and France.
For these reasons, therefore, the prestigious British weekly thought that Italy was the most deserving nation to receive this award. A way to further underline what happened during 2021.
What does it really mean to be the country of the year forEconomist
However, it is necessary to clarify that theEconomist it is only a formal acknowledgment: it does not involve a real prize of any kind, except the prestige that derives from the appointment.
Furthermore, some point out that this choice must also be contextualized: theEconomist is a very front-facing business magazine of the liberal right, and therefore logically takes a favorable view of Draghi's policies, to which it is politically aligned.
Recognition is also dictated by an arbitrary judgment and which is not based on scientific parameters, but only on the perception of the journal's editorial staff. In the past, countries that are certainly not prominent, such as Myanmar and Colombia, have received the award. Both countries have gone through severe political crises
Source of photo in evidence: Government.it, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
