Our fault was another: over the preceding decade we allowed the economy to lose strength until it stopped growing, without taking steps to counter a trend whose deep and long-term nature we ignored despite warnings from some quarters. The outcome is before our eyes: we are one of the economies worst hit by the recessive effects of the financial crisis.
We worry about the timing and strength of the recovery, about how our country will fare in ten years’ time, about the employment prospects and future well-being of the generation on the threshold of adulthood. A prosperous society knows how to ensure a constant improvement in the quality of life of its members.