The 26th Venice Seminar for British journalists took place from 4 to 6 February 2022 at the Giorgio Cini Foundation.
The Seminar, which has been held every year since 1996, interrupted only in 2021 due to the pandemic, is a forum in which high-profile representatives of the British press can become familiar with the latest developments in Italy’s foreign, domestic and economic policy through direct contact with figures from the government, business, industry and culture. The talks are informal and follow the Chatham House Rule.
The president of the Cini Foundation, Professor Giovanni Bazoli, opened the Seminar by welcoming the 33 journalists in attendance, representing the UK’s most important news outlets. The Ambassador of Italy to the UK, Raffaele Trombetta, then opened the work sessions in the magnificent setting of the Tapestry Room. Covid safety protocols were observed throughout.
The first session, entitled “Italy restarts. Next Generation EU and other success stories from the post-Covid Italian Renaissance”, was opened by two government ministers. The Hon. Mara Carfagna, Minister for the South and for Territorial Cohesion, spoke about opportunities offered by the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience (PNRR) to harmonise southern Italy’s economic development and improve its competitiveness. Her points were echoed by Vittoria Colao, Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition, who spoke about the results of the PNRR in Italy’s process of digitalisation and the consequent improvement in competitiveness of many sectors of the Italian economy.
The impact of the PNRR on foreign investment in Italy and on Italian competitiveness was also the subject of the next panel discussion, in which the speakers were representatives of four of the Seminar’s sponsors: Luigi Corradi (Trenitalia), Davide Serra (Algebris), Marco Gubitosi (Legance) and Pasquale Di Bartolomeo (Leonardo). They discussed various sectorial aspects of the current reforms, from the modernisation of the rail network to justice reform. The discussion was moderated by journalist Liliana Faccioli Pintozzi.
The second day opened with a keynote speech by Roberto Cingolani, the Minister for Ecological Transition, for the session on sustainability entitled “After COP26: Industry, new business models, ecological transition and economic growth”. This was followed by a discussion moderated by Professor Marco Magnani, an economist at LUISS University and Harvard Kennedy School. Lapo Pistelli, director of public affairs at Eni, and Marco Alverà, the CEO of Snam, spoke about the future of energy corridors and Italy’s prospects over the coming decade regarding energy supplies and emissions. Gregorio De Felice, the chief economist at Intesa Sanpaolo, then spoke about the medium-term macroeconomic landscape of Italy and Europe, focusing on demography and sustainability.
The second session was entitled “BeIT: Italian values, soft power and Made in Italy. The strength of a new nation brand” and was dedicated to the BeIT campaign, which aims to communicate the values that make the “Made in Italy” brand unique. The keynote speech was given by Giovanna Melandri, president of the Maxxi Foundation and formerly Minister of Culture. The discussion that followed explored Italian soft power and how it is manifested as style, passion, innovation and tradition in sectors such as luxury, cuisine, tourism and hospitality. The author and journalist Paolo Jacobbi moderated a conversation between Antonio Ducceschi, CCO of the Starhotels chain, Diletta Luminari, senior analyst at Pomilio Blumm, the marketing and PR company that runs the BeIT campaign, and Francesco Brutto, a chef at Venissa, the only Italian restaurant with a Michelin green star.
At the end of the Seminar, Benedetto Della Vedova, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, spoke about the priorities of Italian foreign policy, in the light of recent developments in Ukraine and with an eye on the eastern Mediterranean.
The cultural programme at the end of the conference, an integral part of the Seminar experience, included a tour of the Vatican Chapels and the Borges labyrinth at the Cini Foundation, and visits to three churches in the San Marco neighbourhood, highlighting the impact of immigration and efforts to combat the effects of climate change. The first of the three churches, San Lorenzo, is an exhibition space curated by Markus Reymann, the director of the TBA21 Academy, who combines protection of the environment and oceans with many forms of artistic expression. The second, San Giorgio dei Greci, has historically been a meeting point for Venice’s Greek Orthodox community, and the third, San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, was the home of the Dalmation School and houses magnificent works by the artist Vittore Carpaccio.
