EIB at work on AI, semiconductor investment plan to boost EU competitiveness
MILAN, May 17 (Reuters) - The European Investment Bank is working on a new project to enhance European capabilities on artificial intelligence and semiconductors, with the aim of raising 70 billion euros ($78 billion) by 2027, its head said on Saturday.
The blueprint is part of the European Union's efforts to increase its competitiveness against China, the United States and other major economies.
The new blueprint, named 'Tech EU' aims to attract a total of 250 billion euros in investments over the long term, EIB president Nadia Calvino told Italian daily Corriere della Sera, without giving details.
The 'Tech EU' project will also focus on health technologies and critical commodities, she said.
The EU also needs market integration, investment and simplification to strengthen its competitiveness, Calvino said.
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The Guardian
28 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Activists fear low turnout threat to Italy referendum on easing citizenship rules
Italians are voting in a referendum on whether to make it easier for children born in Italy to foreigners to obtain citizenship, with activists saying apparently low public awareness risks rendering the vote invalid if turnout is not high enough. Campaigners for the change in the citizenship law say it will help Italians born in the country to non-European Union parents better integrate into a culture they already see as theirs. The Italian singer Ghali, who was born in Milan to Tunisian parents, urged people to vote in an online post, noting that the referendum, held over Sunday and Monday, risks failure unless at least 50% plus one of eligible voters turn out. 'I was born here, I always lived here, but I only received citizenship at the age of 18,' Ghali said, urging a yes vote to reduce the residency requirement from 10 to five years. The new rules, if passed, could affect about 2.5 million foreign nationals who still struggle to be recognised as citizens. The measures were proposed by Italy's main union and leftwing opposition parties. The prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, said she would show up at the polls but not cast a ballot, an action widely criticised by the left as antidemocratic, since it will not help reach the necessary threshold to make the vote valid. The citizenship referendum is one of several being held on issues including a move towards greater job protections. 'While some members of her ruling coalition have openly called for abstention, Meloni has opted for a more subtle approach,' said the analyst Wolfango Piccoli of the Teneo consultancy based in London. 'It's yet another example of her trademark fence-sitting.'' Supporters say this change would bring Italy's citizenship law in line with many other European countries, promoting greater social integration for long-term residents. It would also allow faster access to civil and political rights, such as the right to vote, eligibility for public employment and freedom of movement within the EU. Selam Tesfaye, an activist and campaigner with the Milan-based human rights group Il Cantiere said: 'The real drama is that neither people who will vote 'yes' nor those who intend to vote 'no' or abstain have an idea of what [an] ordeal children born from foreigners have to face in this country to obtain a residence permit.' 'Foreigners are also victims of blackmail, as they can't speak up against poor working conditions, exploitation and discrimination, due to the precariousness of the permit of stay,' she added. Activists and opposition parties also denounced the lack of public debate on the measures, accusing the governing rightwing coalition of trying to dampen interest in sensitive issues that directly affect immigrants and workers. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion In May, Italy's AGCOM communications authority lodged a complaint against RAI state television and other broadcasters for a lack of adequate and balanced coverage. Michelle Ngonmo, a cultural entrepreneur and advocate for diversity in the fashion industry, who has lived most of her life in Italy after moving as a child from Cameroon, said: 'This referendum is really about dignity and the right to belong, which is key for many people who were born here and spent most of their adult life contributing to Italian society. For them, a lack of citizenship is like an invisible wall.' 'You are good enough to work and pay taxes, but not to be fully recognised as Italian. This becomes a handicap for young generations, particularly in the creative field, creating frustration, exclusion and a big waste of potential,' she said.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Italians vote on citizenship and job protections amid low awareness and turnout concerns
Italians vote over two days starting Sunday on referendums that would make it easier for children born in Italy to foreigners to obtain citizenship, and on providing more job protections. But apparent low public awareness risks rendering the vote invalid if turnout is not high enough. Campaigners for the change in the citizenship law say it will help second-generation Italians born in the country to non- European Union parents better integrate into a culture they already see as theirs. Italian singer Ghali, who was born in Milan to Tunisian parents, urged people to vote in an online post, noting that the referendum risks failure if at least 50% plus one of eligible voters don't turn out. 'I was born here, I always lived here, but I only received citizenship at the age of 18,'' Ghali said, urging a yes vote to reduce the residency requirement from 10 to five years. The new rules, if passed, could affect about 2.5 million foreign nationals who still struggle to be recognized as citizens. The measures were proposed by Italy's main union and left-wing opposition parties. Premier Giorgia Meloni has said she would show up at the polls but not cast a ballot — an action widely criticized by the left as antidemocratic, since it will not help reach the necessary threshold to make the vote valid. 'While some members of her ruling coalition have openly called for abstention, Meloni has opted for a more subtle approach,' said analyst Wolfango Piccoli of the Teneo consultancy based in London. 'It's yet another example of her trademark fence-sitting.'' Rights at stake Supporters say this reform would bring Italy's citizenship law in line with many other European countries, promoting greater social integration for long-term residents. It would also allow faster access to civil and political rights, such as the right to vote, eligibility for public employment and freedom of movement within the EU. 'The real drama is that neither people who will vote 'yes' nor those who intend to vote 'no' or abstain have an idea of what (an) ordeal children born from foreigners have to face in this country to obtain a residence permit,' said Selam Tesfaye, an activist and campaigner with the Milan-based human rights group 'Il Cantiere.' 'Foreigners are also victims of blackmail, as they can't speak up against poor working conditions, exploitation and discrimination, due to the precariousness of the permit of stay,' she added. Activists and opposition parties also denounced the lack of public debate on the measures, accusing the governing center-right coalition of trying to dampen interest in sensitive issues that directly impact immigrants and workers. In May, Italy's AGCOM communications authority lodged a complaint against RAI state television and other broadcasters for a lack of adequate and balanced coverage. 'This referendum is really about dignity and the right to belong, which is key for many people who were born here and spent most of their adult life contributing to Italian society. For them, a lack of citizenship is like an invisible wall,' said Michelle Ngonmo, a cultural entrepreneur and advocate for diversity in the fashion industry, who has lived most of her life in Italy after moving as a child from Cameroon. 'You are good enough to work and pay taxes, but not to be fully recognized as Italian. This becomes a handicap for young generations, particularly in the creative field, creating frustration, exclusion and a big waste of potential,' she said. The four other referendums aim to roll back labor reforms, making it harder to fire some workers and increase compensation for those laid off by small businesses, reversing a previous law passed by a center-left government a decade ago. One of the questions on the ballot also addresses the urgent issue of security at work, restoring joint liability to both contractors and subcontractors for workplace injuries. Many expected to abstain from voting Opinion polls published in mid-May showed that only 46% of Italians were aware of the issues driving the referendums. Turnout projections were even weaker for a vote scheduled for the first weekend of Italy's school holidays, at around 35% of around 50 million electors, well below the required quorum. 'Many believe that the referendum institution should be reviewed in light of the high levels of abstention (that) emerged in recent elections and the turnout threshold should be lowered," said Lorenzo Pregliasco, political analyst and pollster at YouTrend. Some analysts note however that the center-left opposition could claim a victory even if the referendum fails on condition that the turnout surpasses the 12.3 million voters who backed the winning center-right coalition in the 2022 general election. ___
Reuters
2 days ago
- Reuters
Italy stats bureau cuts 2025 GDP growth estimate, in line with government
ROME, June 6 (Reuters) - Italy's economy will grow by 0.6% this year, national statistics bureau ISTAT said on Friday, trimming a previous forecast of 0.8% made in December amid mounting uncertainty over the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policy. In its twice-yearly economic outlook report, ISTAT also predicted that gross domestic product (GDP) in the euro zone's third-largest economy would increase by 0.8% in 2026. ISTAT said growth this year and next will be supported entirely by domestic demand, whereas trade flows will have a negative impact in both years. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government in April halved its economic growth estimate for this year to 0.6%, after the economy expanded by 0.7% in each of the last two years. Most analysts put this year's annual growth at between 0.4% and 0.7%. In 2026, Rome sees GDP growth of 0.8%, down from the previous 1.1% target. Despite Italy's weakening economy, its labour market has held up relatively well. Data this week showed the unemployment rate falling to 5.9% in April from 6.1% in the previous month. ISTAT estimated an average jobless rate of 6.0% this year, down from 6.2% seen in December, and forecast a fall to 5.8% next year.
