The Italian journalist Milena Gabanelli It aired last Monday, May 11th, on TgLa7, with an analysis that generated debate: Why is Spain better at integrating immigrants into the labor market than Italy? The conversation with presenter Enrico Mentana covered data from Eurostat, Confindustria, Osservatorio Conti Pubblici and Tea Group.
The diagnosis was straightforward. "The situation in the Italy-Spain confrontation, whether in labor, migration, fiscal, or investment policies, is unfortunately merciless, and I say this with pain for my country," stated the respected Gabanelli.
The Spanish advantage goes beyond language.
The journalist acknowledged that Spain starts from a different geographical and cultural position. Almost half of Spanish immigration comes from South American countries, with a common language and tradition, which allows citizenship to be obtained in two years, compared to ten in Italy.
But Gabanelli went further: the second largest group of immigrants in Spain comes from Morocco and other African ethnic groups. Cultural affinity, therefore, does not explain everything.
The knot of Italian bureaucracy
The central point of criticism fell on the system of annual quotas for foreign workers, the so-called “click day”In Spain, according to the journalist, an employer can request to hire a worker from outside the European Union at any time, as long as they follow the regular procedures.
In Italy, there are only four fixed dates in the year. Those who need seasonal agricultural workers must request them on January 12th. Those who need construction workers must do so on February 16th.
“Admit that you open a construction site in September: it means you're going into the following year,” said Gabanelli. She added that between the date of the request and the moment the worker receives the payment, there is a significant difference between the date the worker applies and the time they receive the payment. residence permitSix months can pass. "It's a totally inefficient system, as if it were saying: we don't want them, but we pretend to do something."
Political polarization as an obstacle
Gabanelli also pointed to the ideological division in the Italian parliament as a paralyzing factor. "Italian politics is divided into two completely opposing fronts, and they don't move beyond the ideological perimeter. There are those who always have their hand on their heart and those who always have their hand on their holster," she said.
The situation worsens, according to the journalist, when other factors are added: a four percentage point difference in fiscal policies and the rapid advancement of the digitalization of the Spanish public administration, which is among the fastest in Europe. "In the end, you have a situation that's a little heartbreaking."
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