The electoral programs of both coalitions are the result of the new proportional law. Both sides have diluted content to a very high degree to avoid friction within the coalition. After the election whoever wins will have to be more decisive.

In particular, it will have to succeed in combining growth-enhancing measures with a debt consolidation process.

There's a lot of work to be done to take Italy out of the doldrums.

Relatively cheap labor cost has long offered the country a competitive edge. Globalization has now sentenced the end of that growth model.