Described as a “good mix of specialties” by economist Annalisa Piazza, Premier Monti’s new government would be that of a technocracy, a form of government where technical experts are in charge of policy-making. He announced those who will serve in his cabinet on Wednesday, November 16. None of Monti’s appointees were elected by the Italian people but most come from the academic world. His decision to appoint non-politicians to the cabinet was made because "the absence of political personalities in the government will help rather than hinder a solid base of support for the government in parliament and in the political parties because it will remove one ground for disagreement."
Premier Monti’s selected each cabinet member of his new government is based on their expertise in each respected field. Elsa Fornero, an expert on welfare and pensions and professor of microeconomics, was appointed to Minister of Labour. Criminal Law professor Paola Severino will head the Ministry of Justice. Enzo Moavero Malinesi, an antitrust law specialist, will head the Ministry of European Affairs. Anna Maria Cancellieri, who has worked in the Ministry of the Interior since 1972, has been appointed to head the Ministry. Political Science Professor Lorenzo Ornaghi now leads the Ministry of Arts and Culture. The Minister of Development, Infrastructure, and Transport, Corrado Passera, left his position as CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy’s largest retail bank. Premier Monti appointed himself as Minister of Economy because he wants to accept the responsibility getting Italy’s economy back on track.
The decisions to have a prime minister with little legislative experience and a cabinet complete with non elected technocrats could prove to back fire on Italy if Monti’s cabinet doesn’t fix the economic problems. Monti intents for his government to last until the 2013 Elections but as of now, the new government has not yet been officially approved by Parliament and a vote of confidence is scheduled to take place on Thursday, November 17th, in the Senate and by the lower house the following day.
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ReplyDeleteI find Mario Monti’s method of appointment rather refreshing, if not inspiring. The decision to elect intellectuals rather than veteran politicians is a risk for sure, especially in a declining economic crisis. However, perhaps his new cabinet will spearhead a new wave of Italian government that reaches to the core of issues rather than playing political games to avoid them and bury them alive. These sentiments, I’m sure, are the hopes of Mr. Monti, as well. Coming from the American viewpoint, if more people in politics actually seemed to care about the country’s deep-seeded issues rather than their own career and monetary goals, maybe we’d be a little more functional. Of course, we'll see how it goes in Italy first.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emily. In contrast to Silvio Berlusconi’s cabinet, we could make the assertion that Berlusconi rewarded his friends with cabinet positions in Italy. During his time as Italian Prime Minister, Berlusconi has gained the nickname “The Prince” because he is known to shower his cabinet members, or friends, with money (hence why probably Italy is the economic downturn). Even though Berlusconi did survive several “no confidence” votes, in the end, there were traitors who ultimately ousted Berlusconi from his position as Prime Minister. On Monday morning, I heard that the new Italian Prime Minister Monti had a proposal that included several cuts in state programs to initiate economic growth. I look forward to this diverse Italian government. Even with PM Monti’s diverse cabinet, it is important to point out that the current President of Standard & Poors currently holds a doctorate in English Literature and continues to downgrade European Union countries. Despite the differences in PM Monti’s cabinet, let’s just hope his government will be able to contribute some economic growth in Italy.
ReplyDeleteHaving academics instead of politicians in the heads of government is a large risk of which I am sure everyone would agree. However, it has to be a relief after Berlusconi. Having a country ruled by academics instead of politics has its pros and cons. The academics are some of the most knowledgeable people in their particular fields which can help them with their decision making. The academics are also not as tied to one particular political group, and they should be less likely to fall to the temptations of having so much power. Since they are not politicians, it may be hard for them to maneuver around so much governmental red tape. Everyone hopes that this technocratic government will succeed in its efforts of economic growth.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of a technocratic government seems quite interesting and I really would like to see how this type of government would work out but I doubt that it has a chance of being a strong government because the idea of politics according to our founding fathers, such as James Madison, was that political parties and interest groups arguing against one another actually creates a healthy government because all factions are competing for power and this way only one faction or interest group won’t become too powerful and become a tyranny by implying rule over all of the people. This was a big scare for the founding fathers so I think this technocratic government might be headed the same way because the academically advanced people will soon become the social elites and they would want to advocate only for their own personal causes rather than for the public which may lead into having a too powerful of a central government which won’t take any say from the public's perspective on politics and certain issues.
ReplyDeleteMonti could actually represent the end of Italy's seemingly-eternal spoils system, which could be good and bad. The good is that Italy needs a swift kick in the ass - the days of la dolce vita are over and long-delayed bills have finally come due. On the other hand, the bad is that shifting from a political spoils system to a meritocracy doesn't happen overnight - especially in a culture where the idea of family ties and favors is firmly entrenched. Hopefully, Monti is able to turn Italy away from economic collapse. The alternative could simply be Berlusconi II - it must be noted that he won every vote of confidence placed against him, voluntarily resigned, and his party still holds a majority. We may not have seen the end of him yet.
ReplyDeleteSome of these positions can not be left to politicians because they require knowledge in specialized field that politicians do not have the proper training or education for. It should be expected that cabinet officials are appointed due to knowledge and specialization rather the politics. President Obama made similar appointments when he first entered office. His economic team was composed of well renowned scholars; Obama’s chief economic advisor is Lawrence Summers, who is the President Emeritus of Harvard University. Christina D. Romer was also appointed as one of Obama’s economic advisors and is a professor at the University of California Berkley who specializes in recessions.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is a brilliant idea to have the economic crises be handled by members of academic communities. Politics are often worried about maintaining popularity by promoting certain ideologies that weigh down progress due to opposing views. By having specialized academics who truly know their way around these economic issues, Italy will have penetrating insight that government officials often overlook do to personal agendas. I think that this is an interesting idea that will be able to take off if it is successfully. Why not have those who are best able to tackle economic issues handle the crises. By picking experts with great knowledge of the particular issues at hand, Italy will be able to tackle the economic crises without political gridlock.
ReplyDeleteI think economist Annalisa Piazza’s comment that Premier Monti’s selected cabinet members are a “good mix of specialties” is the correct viewpoint on this appointment. Since the new government would be that of a technocracy, these elected officials hopefully will not have the corrupted agendas that so many elected officials seem to be plagued with. I think that Eric is absolutely right in thinking that the Prime Minister’s decision to elect a cabinet with little to no legislative experience could prove to back fire on Italy if Monti’s cabinet doe not amend the economic problems afflicting the country. However, if they do in fact fix the economic problems, Monti will be viewed as a gutsy and intelligent politician who took a risk for the greater good of his country.
ReplyDeleteMario Monti could be the answer to the prayers of the people of Italy. In a moment of crisis, Monti has removed the petty politics in Italy’s executive branch. Choosing his cabinet members by expertise (and not political gain) is incredibly smart, especially with the severe economic crisis in Italy. Technocracy is exactly what Italy and the rest of Europe needs at the moment; economists who better understand the influx of the economy should make economic policies. This decision can prove to be risky if the economic crisis is not contained, but it’s time Italy try something new, since politicians left the Italian economy near bankruptcy.
ReplyDeleteWhen there is a crisis, the people in charge need to come together and create a strategy to get themselves out of the mess. However, this can become rather difficult when there people in charge are more worried about keeping their jobs than trying to help the country. This is why I see the decision for Italy to have academics who know something in the field in which they hold a position to be a good decision. Since the citizens probably do not know who these people who, however, there is a danger that the citizens might not be as forgiving if their policies do not come out as planned. Ultimately, I believe this was a change that needed to be made for the Italian people to start to pick themselves up.
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