Hard-won confidence must not be undermined by the resurgence of fears about the determination of Italy, and of all the countries of the euro area, to continue on the path of reform and responsibility. Failure to do so would hinder the improvement of the conditions of access to credit, with inevitable repercussions on the cost of capital and investment by firms.
The path ahead is a narrow one, and in taking it due consideration must certainly be accorded to the needs of those who are suffering the most as a result of the long crisis and the major changes accompanying the opening of markets and the rapid emergence of new technologies, changes for which most of the necessary structural adjustment is still incomplete.