Un miracolo non basta. Alle origini della crisi italiana tra economia e politica di Francesco Silva e Augusto Ninni. Review-Article

The volume by Francesco Silva and AugustoNinni is an outstanding contribution to the studyof the Italian economic development in the years1947-1989 and of its burdensome inheritance forthe following decades. The analysis skillfully weaveseconomy with history and politics. The authorsshow that the progressive decline of the Italian economyin the 1990s and in the beginning of the newcentury was largely due to the huge public debt,the weaknesses of large corporations and of politicaland social institutions, the unresolved problemsregarding southern regions, the low employmentrate, and the large-scale and growing phenomenaassociated with corruption, tax evasion, and organisedcrime. The book partly understates the problemsdue to the too weak effort made by Italianenterprises and the State in relation to R&D activities,the diversification of production towards newproducts and services, and the transition towardsenergy saving and less polluting technology. Yet,the volume offers a great and intense picture of theItalian economic evolution after World War II. Inthe concluding chapter, the authors also suggestsome valuable recipes for the improvement of theeconomic and political system.