Good morning everyone.

I am very happy to be sending my greetings to the opening of the 2024 edition of the Fiera del Levante international trade fair.

The Fiera del Levante is an institution, for Bari, for the Apulia Region, for the South and for Italy as a whole. This event has spanned the nation’s history, telling the story of how our economic and entrepreneurial system has evolved.
Over the course of this long history, there have been incredibly positive times and other more difficult periods, but the Fiera has remained a major point of reference throughout, showcasing the dynamism, enterprise and creativity of our companies and their workers, especially those in the Mezzogiorno.

Today, the main macroeconomic indicators show that Italy is growing by more than double the European and eurozone average. Is this thanks to the Government? As I have said many times: no. It is thanks to our productive fabric and those who roll up their sleeves every day to run their businesses.

The Government has simply done its part. In other words, it has ensured stability, outlined a long-term vision, worked to create as business-friendly an environment as possible, and paved the way to make our nation a place worth investing in.

We are beginning to see the results, also and above all in the Mezzogiorno, and this is something I am particularly proud of. In 2023, GDP in the south of Italy grew by more than the national average, employment has risen more than in the rest of Italy, and investments, which are the most important thing, are up 50%. The Mezzogiorno has also given exports a significant boost, allowing Italy to now rank fourth among the world’s top exporters, overtaking first South Korea and then Japan.

This year, the South has in fact been Italy’s economic driving force, unlike what we saw in the past, when it would almost always find itself lagging behind. We have charted a new, clear direction, and we intend to follow it, giving citizens and businesses in the Mezzogiorno a concrete opportunity to prove their worth.

We have reformed cohesion policies in order to spend these precious resources better and quicker, ensuring they are effectively used to reduce regional disparities and for strategic measures.
We have introduced Cohesion Agreements, and have signed 19 of them with Regions and Autonomous Provinces to date, making more than EUR 35 billion available so far. We are now preparing to complete this process, with none other than the Puglia Region.

We have established the ‘infrastructure equalisation fund’ with the obligation to allocate at least 40% of multi-year funding for investments to Italy’s southern regions.
Another building block of this strategy is the single SEZ for the Mezzogiorno, which this Government was determined to achieve, engaging in dialogue as part of complex negotiations with the European Commission.

In this context, the tax credit for investments plays a crucial role, for which we have earmarked a total of EUR 3.4 billion. Then there is the extension of the ‘Decontribuzione Sud’ measure [an aid scheme for the South], with strong incentives to create new, good jobs, especially for young people and women. 

These many building blocks form part of a wider strategy this Government has put in place to fulfil the Mezzogiorno’s desire to play a leading role. The south of Italy is not asking for an over-reliance on welfare benefits, aid and vote buying; it simply asks to be put in a position to be able to compete with the rest of the nation on an equal footing.

In the past, the Mezzogiorno has too often been considered almost as a problem, a dead weight, but the South is actually Italy’s real great growth opportunity. It is up to us to unleash its immense and untapped potential, through investments, targeted measures and the infrastructure boost needed to finally bridge the gap with the rest of Italy, because no revitalisation is possible without adequate infrastructure.

Betting on the South’s pride means betting on the pride of the entire nation, because a prosperous and competitive South benefits all the Italian people.
We are determined to win this bet, also and above all thanks to those who, like you, have always had faith!

My thanks to you all and enjoy the trade fair!

[Courtesy translation]