On 4 December, Italians will vote on a referendum to decide on proposed constitutional changes that would strengthen the power and stability of the government, streamline parliament and law making by allowing the Lower House to decide on most matters, and make it clearer the relationship between central and local government. Together with ongoing economic weakness, fiscal problems and stability issues in the banking sector this makes for a “Triple Witching Hour” for Italy, with potential severe and profound economic and political consequences. Lorenzo Codogno will discuss possible political scenarios and their economic and financial consequences for Italy and the rest of Europe.
Lorenzo Codogno is a Visiting Professor in Practice at the European Institute. He was chief economist and director general at the Treasury Department of the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (May 2006-February 2015). He was in charge of the economic analysis and planning directorate. He held responsibility for macroeconomic forecasts, cyclical and structural analysis on the Italian/international economy, and analysis on European and international monetary and financial issues.
Waltraud Schelkle is an Associate Professor of Political Economy at the European Institute and has been at LSE since autumn 2001, teaching courses on the political economy of European integration at MSc and PhD level. She is an Adjunct Professor of economics at the Economics Department of the Free University of Berlin