Following the introduction by Giampaolo Pedrotti, head of the Province's press office, who added the underlying concept of ‘change' to the title of this year's edition ("Growth and the Ruling Class"), Mayor Alessandro Andreatta recalled that the Festival is a "major opportunity for young people, with four days of superlative lectures, so long as the participation is genuine and not proclaimed " and the fact that, faced with "the oldest ruling class in Europe, which is Italy's case, and the need for change, what is needed is above all the will to change".
Tito Boeri spoke about the "reflection that has continued between different editions, at a time marked by a leaderless Europe, populated by Euro-sceptics, a situation which it is necessary to bear in mind. Once again the Festival will try to understand how to change the institutions and rules, rather than talking about the big names. It will also be central to focus on the question of how to promote the role of women".
Daria de Pretis reiterated the commitment of the University to being a part of this event "both due to the returns it receives and because it has something to say, especially on this theme, its mission being precisely the training and selection of the ruling class. We will continue to play this important role as a ‘social ladder' and what we try to transmit to our students is leadership ability, a sense of freedom and the ethical dimension".
Gregorio De Felice spoke about the "great gratitude felt for volunteer workers in an area, Trentino, which has the Italian record for extraordinary generosity". He then warned against the "rift between private interests and the common good, an example of which is the spreading of corruption, which does not guarantee collective interests".
Finally, Giuseppe Laterza commented: "The programme exploits everything that we have learnt from previous editions. The people who come to the Festival are the potential ruling class of the future, because young people are more important than money and institutional office, especially at a time in which there is an urgent and dramatic need to reconsider Europe and the necessary space for freedom". The Festival can make an "exhilarating contribution" to this. -
Sabato, 31 Maggio 2014 - 02:00
Comunicato
1288
Inauguration ceremony in the Sala Depero with Andreatta, Boeri, De Felice, de Pretis, Laterza and President Rossi
THE NINTH EDITION OF THE FESTIVAL OF ECONOMICS KICKS OFF
The collective hope is that the ninth edition of the Festival of Economics – inaugurated a short time ago in the provincial government building in the Sala Depero - will serve above all to outline tasks and responsibilities, giving Europe a hand at what would appear to be a moment of great difficulty. It will be able to do so starting precisely from this year's particularly topical theme: Growth and the Ruling Class. This was emphasised in the speeches taking place during the ceremony, in keeping with the essential concepts expressed by those who have been the protagonists in the history of the Festival, with many different roles: Alessandro Andreatta, Mayor of Trento; Tito Boeri, Scientific Coordinator of the Festival; Gregorio De Felice, Chief Economist with Intesa San Paolo; Daria de Pretis, Rector of the University of Trento; Giuseppe Laterza, publisher. This was underlined by Ugo Rossi, President of the Autonomous Province of Trento, who reiterated the commitment and support of "a small but proud land" to organising an event which takes place above all thanks to the contribution of volunteers – the biggest "thank you" goes to them – and which is useful "in terms of content but also in terms of promotion and economic repercussions", and even more "as an opportunity for the ruling class to reflect and grow". This is the heart of the matter, according to Rossi: "The Festival is useful because it is experienced and participated in by a large number of young people who wish to become the ruling class of the future". Three key issues were identified by Rossi: "The responsibility of a ruling class that must be willing answer for its actions every day; innovation which must be inconvenient and irritating, otherwise it would not be innovation; the freedom to make decisions that do not focus on consensus, because what matters is not being re-elected but the common good".-
