Mario Monti ended the campaign of Civic Choice in Florence, 02/22/2013



"I thank our Tuscan candidates, the list headers Andrea Romano for the Chamber and Pietro Ichino for the Senate, as well as Stefania Giannini.



They accepted very quickly a challenge that a bit 'disrupts their lives. That's the beauty of our initiative, I thank all the young volunteers were mobilized to provide capacity for implementation from the beginning of our presence.



I wanted to be in Florence, in this important day of the election campaign, even for a personal memory. I spent a short but intense period of my life in Florence, in 1966, the course Cadets Air Force - School of the air war in the Cascine - and I was there during the flood of 1966. I just visited the Christ of Cimabue restored the Holy Cross, and the place where the restorations are made, pride of Florence.



You are in Florence, and I wanted to come here not only because it is a great Italian and European cities to which the whole world looks with admiration, but because Florence is the capital of the Renaissance, because I am convinced that Italy should be reborn and now with this vote can take away a path of rebirth founded on the same basis of the Renaissance culture, work, talent.



Young people who vote for the first time this year have always heard, since they were born, the decline of Italy, as if it were an inevitable fate to which it is impossible to escape; This twenty years lost, the result of a political class substantially immovable discouraged throughout the country and, what is more painful, he has discouraged those who, by age, should be full of enthusiasm and dreams. Italy has experienced phases of great momentum, even in recent history; we must rediscover a concrete, solid, strong hope and only young people can help us do that, if we change Italy opening us to the future.



Today we can choose the path of rebirth. These elections are a historic breakthrough because for the first time, in November of 2011, the fortress of the policy has been forced to open a window, she could not breathe in there, could not by itself to dominate the financial crisis that had a large measure created. They asked us, a piece of civil society, to sit, to rule, and did not feel even give it to me, for the formation of the government, members of their parties.



Maybe because it was too risky operation, perhaps because they understood that they had to take measures that would have resulted in a political cost and that they would lose votes in the elections on Sunday and Monday.



I would not want this window that the political world has opened, it closed and that civil society would continue to stay out, to protest, to complain, not to take this opportunity to roll up their sleeves, to enter the world of politics, to help to rejuvenate, to work for the citizens and not for herself; but if we lose this opportunity may close again that window instead become a large door and all of us we will have missed a great opportunity, not just to us but to do with our energy something that can be a turning point for our country, a historic turning point .



For the first time in twenty years, with our initiative, offering policy has changed and Italian voters can choose something different from the usual stuff, something that is neither the old range of parties that have led the country in terms where it is today or even worse was fourteen months ago, nor destructive populism that would take advantage of the legitimate anger of many Italians to smash everything and to close our great nation to Europe and the world. This is the great challenge, very real, of this election: the populist against reformers.



In neither group is fine as it is now, the economy is, but we differ on the idea to change profoundly.



Populism is treated with skill and knowledge; So Italy can be born again and enter the Holy Cross, to see the tombs of the great Italian makes me a thrill, a great sense of discomfort to the conditions of today and a huge hope because Italy is alive but Italy is of that level, of that height.



Italy can be born again and I want to tell Italy that I have in mind, that Italy creativity that convinced me to engage personally along with many other Italians who have joined us, an Italy can and other what we see today, still a prisoner in a cage conservation, laziness and cynicism that prevents us to exploit the extraordinary potential; cynicism, resignation, populism and demagoguery are the real enemies.



Italy will be reborn if allow its young to enter a labor market still too closed, where there are deep and unacceptable inequalities between those who are guaranteed and who is left without any protection.



For this Civic Choice proposes a reform of the labor market, creating opportunities, particularly young people, that would bring the labor legislation to a profoundly changed; a change which must match new rights and new opportunities if you really want to protect the weak, instead of being morally and ideologically convinced to protect the weak, in fact, unfortunately, doing their damage.



Italy can be reborn if you will free its women from forced choice between being mothers and be employed. because the junction between work and motherhood is not only deeply uncivilized, but blocks the economic growth, social and cultural image. For this Civic Choice offers a wide gender revolution for our country, a massive plan to build kindergartens, incentives for employers women.



It's time to pay our debt to those who have ensured the social cohesion of the country, in return for services and inadequate representation often humiliating, vulgar, unacceptable by those who claimed to be, and still is proclaimed defender of the values ​​of family. A shame that the Italian city will never have to suffer, unless they want to, but I do not think this is the case. And so our policy on women, which is articulated in our agenda, has two cornerstones as ideal reference: one, the policy for the woman is not the policy for the protection of a weaker species, which moreover is very strong, it is not only a measure of fairness, but is part of the key policies for the country's economic growth.



We can not dispense with the input of quality and quantity that half, or even a little 'more, the Italian population is able to give, and is half - I am convinced of this - the woman has a better understanding, Usually, the context in which human events take place, because he developed for centuries and millennia in the family, because it has a vision usually larger things, a better ability to put them together and in perspective. And these are exactly the qualities that are missing on average to us Italians, the people of individuality certainly not second to those of other countries, but often with deficiencies about the opportunity to work on the context of producing a collective effort. This is also why the woman should be more present in the world of work, in politics, in the world of society, for the good of us all. Not only and not so much for their own interest.



However, the other cornerstone must - even before the policy instruments - the role of women change in our minds, especially us men, but also in part to women too resigned. We think that this is a work site critical that must also have its reflections in a different setting of public life, industry, telecommunications, media and so on.



Italy can be reborn if its education system and the university will become the center of our vision of the future. Sure, it would then, very high up in the position for the election to the Senate, for example, a woman who had a deep experience of the Higher Education system. But it, is Stefania Giannini, and Professor Andrea Romano, who was also great figure of knowledge of the world university education, culture.



A school that can include but also to reward those who deserve it, the teachers as among students, university better funded, with more autonomy, more evaluation, more openness to the world. A university that is able to attract, here in Italy, students and teachers, as was the case in our cities, and especially here in Florence during the Renaissance. because merit and competence are not the sign of the elite when everyone is given the opportunity to be realized, a possibility that today many Italians do not have, and that pushes our best young people to look elsewhere for opportunities denied them in Italy.



Italy can be reborn if it can recognize the culture one of the most powerful levers of economic growth and national identity, culture as protection of artistic and monumental heritage, culture as a crucial factor of national identity, culture as a cultural industry, namely as production of art all its forms, to know, and content. The future belongs to those who excel in this time, in this field, this is the culture, the ability to transform the culture in emotion, in quality of life, to make her experience to others, making use of the fact that much of the culture, as embodied in cultural goods, monuments, works of art, is totally or almost totally non-mobile, and therefore requires that you see it here. Well, this will become, must become one of the major comparative advantages of Italy in the world division of labor. It is unacceptable that countries worthy, that we are friends, we respect, but which often are far below us for supply of natural resources and cultural heritage, tourism primeggino than us just because they can better organize things trivial but fundamental, as services.



Italy can be reborn if you will refer to the work center and the enterprise, not only as a lever for growth and development, but as the core values ​​of our community, and see how almost every point I walk, the conditions for Italian renaissance, there are things to be done by the policy but there are also elements to evolve in our mentality of Italians.



In our vision of the political "leadership" means, without any presumption, glimpse, see, explore, a vision for the future and drive - this is the "lead" - public opinion towards this. We are the opposite of a virtue that I consider a vice, in which many politicians are excellent, which is watching the polls to see what people want, offer it to them as promised regardless of whether it is possible to keep that promise, and where it were possible to keep it, if you give that thing is good or bad for the country, if it's good or bad for the future of that country. For me, and I think for us, the one who in the eyes of many people in the population that you do a little 'too easily impressed, and that looks great political leadership and professional, that is "followership", you follow, not lead.



Italy, finally, can be reborn if presents to center its citizens, too often treated as subjects in these twenty years lost that was the Second Republic. Electoral law, cuts the cost of politics, respect for public money and therefore eliminating waste of public administration, all of which left and right, alternately, have not had the courage to do, because this two-party conflict, in which many well had placed so much hope since the early nineties, it has been a near-perfect mechanism, to ensure that the best energies of a pole and the other were dedicated to try to denigrate, delegitimise, destroy, the other pole. What remained of energy policy to deal with the country, to take care of young people? Some residue. We have a very different vision. We try to see what unites those who want to change the country, those who are willing to make reforms.



We must bring new people in Parliament, prepared, competent. I was convinced of the crucial importance of Parliament in the abstract, as a citizen, but when I saw the Parliament as Prime Minister, and I will not tell the excitement and almost dizzy when the first day I went to present our program , first in the Senate and then the House, I did not even know how to relate to Parliament.



Then it was, perhaps for the great moment of confusion of politics at that time, much easier than expected, but it was rather difficult, especially as they were approaching the elections, obtain from the Parliament that the government's proposal on various grounds Reform sought. I realized more than ever that the decision that matters is rightly that of the Parliament, and the desire for reform bolder than a government can incinerate if the Parliament does not have a majority that wants to change the country, and if he blocks of storage that can differ in political color, but be joined by a thin thread that is, precisely, to preserve the existing. Fine line that we saw working, very solid, invisible, at its worst, with the ballets made around the reform of the electoral law, not make it.



We must, we want to bring new people in Parliament, prepared, competent. This method I have followed in the contacts I had with the candidates that they wanted candidates, and so did the others who took part with me in the initiative.



We were looking for people to nominate who had something to lose and not to gain, engage in public affairs, and each of the candidates chose to run, obviously without even have the certainty of being elected, sacrificing much of the work, the family, but is a time when it is no longer enough to do very well his duty sector and think that an invisible hand that combine the well-being of the country and the dignity of the country. Need more, we require a personal sacrifice and the people we have brought and are bringing in Parliament, which is unlikely to occupy the Parliament for forty years, have already shown what they can do in life and have decided to dedicate a limited time at the service of the common good.



Youth, labor, women, school, university, culture, business, renewal of the ruling class, these are the issues that we put at the center of a collective adventure which ends today in Florence with a specific request to the Italian and Italians: if you really want to restart Italy, return to our country extraordinary dignity, energy and hope of a new Renaissance, the vote is useful for Civic Choice, not to go back to Italy to pick up the talent.



It can not be useful, the vote for the left still captive of ideological cages and an ancient idea of ​​the country; many Italians who seek shelter in the past by fears of this I want to say: there can be no growth without equity, and there can be no growth if we put all into play, reinventing our development model from a well-justified confidence about the capabilities and the potential of the Italian.



May not be useful, the vote for a right back to promise, after all, a society where everything is allowed, a country full of all free, I would say all of the free and liberal and is no tolerance towards many illegalities that crush Italians and Italy, a promise that today broke through in those people who think that there is no longer a national destiny, a community within which it is worth to stay and which must be sought even renouncing Personal shortcuts. These Italians who have lost hope that I mean there are no escape routes individual, one may be enticed by the idea of ​​saving a fee, of being a tax return, will also be true certain letters that we receive but there is no way reserved for crafty if the country declines too.



These Italians who feel moderate, and there are many, and I think many of us feel moderate, and the more I think the more we see what is moderation, well these Italians would like to ask how they can vote for who is the personification of 'immoderatezza.



It may not even be worth voting for destructive populism which would have the sole effect of increasing the noise and decrease the ability to solve problems.



Voters rightly disgusted, like maybe release a tirade, I want to say that there is nothing left to destroy in this country. On the contrary, it is time to rebuild Italy, and who says it will bomb, besiege institutions, who declares war on Europe and wants to condemn us to isolation, I say that he will not succeed.



We conquered and defended dearly our place in Europe, the freedom that the national democratic institutions and European guarantee us. No Italian, I believe, is more willing to tolerate the destruction of our democracy to surrender to those proven not to accept dissent, criticism, democratic debate, the debate.



Those millions of Italians disappointed that voted three times to my predecessor, believing that it would introduce in Italy a liberal revolution, which never happened, those millions of Italians disappointed, having hoped that the left could be an interpreter of the reform State and economy, only to see it come back a prisoner of ideology worn and useless, and some, alas, capacity autoframmentazione, as we have seen twice in the recent past, those Italians disappointed but have not lost hope in overtime value of our Nation, today - I say this humbly - a true, credible, capable of addressing the problems with the same seriousness with which we decided, just over a year ago, to take up a post as extremely difficult to lead Italy out of a perfect storm, assuming full responsibility for a bitter medicine and unpopular.



We are not finished like Greece, and now the right and left would have you believe Italians that the sacrifices made were unnecessary. After escaping and calling another, from the outside, an alien, a stranger, to do the work that they did not have the courage to do when the country was running a mortal risk, it takes, you now want to drive back in the second republic.



And while you, we, civil society, citizens, did with dignity and composure enormous sacrifices, indeed I do not consider myself because I've asked them and you have them made, the enormous sacrifices, they struggled a lot, but struggled to cut significantly privileges, and they could not even change this electoral law.



Now they offer free tickets and tax refunds because they want desperately win another round, and they want to do that, objectively, on the shoulders of Italian citizens and their children.



You have paid the bill for decades of inefficiency, now we must each assume their responsibilities, and you, the Italian citizens, who can change things.



Today Italy is out of the storm, but needs to be put in motion. And here I would like to end my presentation with something yesterday, but yesterday literally, I could not say. And that gives us a very concrete sense of where we are and what has been done, now what can you do but also, I believe, of those who can do it.



Please especially the press, as well as others, to pay attention to this point. The European Commission, in Brussels, this morning announced two things, among many others, on the European economy.

The first, which for Italy is due out by the recession since the middle of 2013. The tunnel was there, it was long, we knew. It also tried to give some hope to see a light at the end of the tunnel, but now are authoritative impartial observers that glimpse.



The other announcement, the European Commission has confirmed that Italy has revised the budget deficit in due time, and in the years to fulfill the purposes.



I think especially the Honourable Berlusconi should be happy about that because I have humbly, tenaciously, and relying on the patience and understanding of Italian citizens, implemented objective, which he set to anticipate a balanced budget from 2014 to 2013, to demonstrate good will since the conduct up to that point had not been much.







When the hectic summer of 2011, when financial markets were no longer credit to Italy, and spread great mistrust, the government has accepted the commitment negotiated with the European Central Bank and the EU institutions.



Well, considering we absolutely impossible, coming after him and having to re-establish trust and credibility, ask for it to be applied a little more tolerance, after him, a little desperate, had anticipated this maturity of virtue, we have the fiscal incentives - all Italians know - and even with a substantial start cutting public spending, with a pension reform declared necessary for fifteen years, always postponed, we have carried out in three weeks, we have now done what my predecessor promised Europe and markets. So I think he is the happiest of the diligence with which his will has been translated into action.



And I think Italians are aware that the latest revisions of the history of the last two years, which are presented to them, they leave something to be desired, because it was not a sadistic taste for austerity that has prompted my Government to propose Italians.



It was the need of a situation that had been created, needs precisely formalized commitments with Europe from those who preceded us. It 's also worth noting that, with the stabilization of the action confirmed by the Government, are descended from some point interest rates.



It has been said, in its desire not recognize even one about who has had to deal with a situation that could end up badly, which is about the ECB if the Italian interest rates have declined.



Yesterday, the European Central Bank has presented data on its ownership of government bonds of different countries, and you see how the ownership of securities of the Italian Treasury is the largest among those of the other countries in whose securities the Bank has intervened (Spain , Greece, Portugal), and can also be inferred from the data, which in full, or nearly full, the purchase of Treasury securities Italian took place in 2011, particularly in the summer of 2011, when in spite of the massive purchases of government bonds, for which purchases was signed that letter that it is now considered halter and part of a plot, despite those massive purchases of government bonds, the spread increased Italian.



Later, with the action of my government it fell.



With ups and downs, but declined. Until halved compared to what I had known initially, although there were more interventions in favor of Italian securities.



Well, the cure difficult but essential work, today we are able to set an action geared to growth, the European Commission tells us that in the second half of the Italian economy, very proven, will continue to grow.



The IMF has said that if the structural reforms launched by the government last year will be brought to fruition, you might get an increase of the Italian GDP of 5.75% more in the next five years, additional growth compared to one scenario in which everything remains as it is today, without completing the reforms.



It is therefore obvious that, in the short term, we have harmed the production level, having to restrict the economy to restore financial credibility to Italy.



Even children can understand, or almost. But we are on a path of growth if we do not waste the work done. It 'a path of growth that may well enable some limited, gradual, responsible, reduction of taxes.



Did I mention that the levers for growth are young people, women, the labor market. Today I want to say - here I used to call your attention and the press - that we can take the concrete actions that can jump-start the country if we choose the right priorities.



I want an extraordinary commitment to fight against insecurity and create quality jobs.



I propose a package of shock four components, to be activated as soon as possible.



First, cut the cost of labor for the new open-ended contracts, eliminate, immediately, the tax base of IRAP, labor costs for new hires. I also propose to reduce by half by the State and put the social security contributions for new hires.



Second point: multiply apprenticeships, eliminating.



Third: double the number of seats actually usable in nurseries, even with financial facilities.



Fourth, experience a new permanent contracts more flexible for all new hires.



The consequences of this shock package, which is not a campaign promise but a commitment that after today I can take the job done in the last fifteen months, that women do not have to choose between motherhood and work.



It will also become easier to hire indefinitely young people forced to insecurity and unprotected.



It will also be easier for small businesses to grow in size and invest in your business.



Yesterday we could not do it without this recognition, these certifications are the European Union.



And this is also to see that the sacrifices, if done as part of a vision, a plan, are not dissipated, but create the conditions for development.



Today we have what it takes, however, I can go to Brussels and ask that allow us to do these things doing, if necessary, a little more government deficit, because these reforms on market entry job creating growth.



Are those structural reforms that, in line with European guidelines, Europe is ready to recognize if he sees them as fruits of the efforts made with consistency from one country, and if you feel you enroll in a course of continuity of the credibility of that country .







So I like to say that since we have not reached a precarious balance of our public finances, I want to turn this into less job security, less insecurity especially for young people.







I have very long, but I thought I could not speak here, today, in the cradle of the Renaissance, without getting to give a concrete sign of hope, without giving the message that the sacrifices make it, if they are thrown to the wind, and therefore there we can do, we must do it.



But I'm afraid a lot for the country, because of the scenarios that may worsen with the vote. And I say that citizens can vote in anger, filling the streets, but if they vote for the anger where they go? Where they go if the anger is not transformed into a change of the country but, for example, in a referendum for the withdrawal of the Euro?



Among some time they will return to the streets more numerous, with more protests similar to those seen in the streets of Greece.



Or citizens can vote deluded by false promises, and then where will they go? They will regret having given the grade, or because it shows that those promises were false, and therefore did not have the desired benefits, or worse, if those promises are met, and there is the collective dissipation, in a bonfire, of sacrifices made in these years, and will have to go get a new coach in twelve or eighteen months, because remove Italy from the fire.



You can vote, citizens, for the traditional policies, the traditional parties, the traditional methods. It can almost seem almost comforting, continue to vote as voting took place in the past, and I would like to invite all citizens who are quite happy with how it goes today Italy, to vote for one or another of the traditional poles.



Or, people who have the same dissatisfaction of young and old, people who go into the streets to protest, they prefer a path that is meant to protest, but combined with the proposal, compared to a path that is made of protest today, and even more angry protest tomorrow.



We have the peace of mind that comes from having helped to overcome the financial emergency of Italy, we have the clarity to see that Italy is, however, still an emergency economic and social, we see that the path that promises to be a journey that may soon become growth, but only if you go along with the policies determined and tenacious followed recently.



I must say that I cherish, with all that can legitimately think and say my political competitors, the attitude of a person who did not feel the need nor to become prime minister - but he agreed to do so when it was called - it 'a person who wants at all costs to remain within the public affairs or politics.



I have reached the conviction that we have passed an emergency, there is a risk that all that has been done to overcome that emergency financial us back to zero box, if wrong policies intervene now, and now there is this potential



