Why Italy’s Summer of Gridlock Is No Accident Summer is the season that puts Italy’s transport system to the toughest test, exposing it to delays and breakdowns. Yet it would be wrong to think congestion—the real root of the problem—strikes only in the summer. It’s a year-round issue, especially in cities. The trouble is, Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan pours most of its funds into big new infrastructure projects, when a smarter strategy would be to “think small”: maintaining what already exists and, above all, strengthening local public transport, the daily lifeline for millions of people.

A more united Europe can become a leader among non-aligned countries, attract global talent, and strengthen the role of the euro Today, Europe has a unique opportunity to position itself as a global reference point, thanks to its independence from rival geopolitical blocs. But to seize this moment, it must become stronger and push forward decisively with deeper integration. That’s why, before welcoming new Eastern European countries, the EU needs to reform the rules that currently allow any member state to block decisions with a single veto. On the 40th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement, the European Union could also take a major step forward by introducing a shared social security code – an important move to strengthen the European identity that, for many young people, is already a natural part of their daily lives.

Tackling Gender Discrimination at Work and at Home Discrimination still runs deep in many areas of our society. It’s unfair, it weakens social cohesion, and it robs us of valuable human potential – something we can hardly afford as advanced countries face demographic decline. Women, along with ethnic and religious minorities and people who don’t conform to mainstream standards of sexuality or appearance, are often the primary targets. This issue focuses on the discrimination faced by women, who have become the main victims of the backlash against inclusion policies, particularly those pushed back overseas. Maybe affirmative action – like gender quotas – has sometimes gone too far. But that doesn’t mean we should undo decades of progress in civil rights. So how do we push back against this rollback and keep moving forward in the fight for gender equality?

How Trade Wars Could Impact Income and Inflation Trump’s second presidency is shaping up to be even more aggressive than the first, with no restraints. His trade policies are driven by a mercantilist view of the economy, a narrow understanding of global interdependencies, and the interests of Big Tech. Will tariffs be used as a mere bargaining chip, or will they be enforced indiscriminately, sparking new trade wars? How will they affect income and inflation? What should we expect in key trade conflicts – between the U.S. and China, North America, Europe, and emerging markets? And what role can the European Union play? Italy, on its own, has little influence.

The rise of vertical cities and the struggle to govern them Today, two out of three people live in cities, and urbanization shows no signs of slowing down. Despite predictions that remote work and artificial intelligence would lead to emptying cities, the opposite has happened. Cities are expanding upward, becoming denser and more vertical. This trend makes them increasingly difficult to govern, with decision-making often gridlocked by conflicts of interest—even over the simplest issues. To ensure orderly growth and promote collective well-being, national governments—which have become less influential in the age of globalization—need to refocus their attention on their major cities.

Understanding the Global Success of Populist Leaders How can over 60 million Americans be willing to vote for Donald Trump—a figure widely seen as unfit to serve as President of the United States—in the upcoming November 5 election? What drives the success of populist leaders worldwide, even when history shows their governments often bring widespread hardship, undermine democratic institutions, and weaken protections for private property? In this issue of Eco, leading economists, political scientists, journalists, and public commentators share their perspectives, offering valuable comparisons between trends on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Impact of Organized Crime on Income and Employment, and Strategies to Reduce Widespread Illegality Organized crime not only destroys income and jobs but also takes human lives. We can combat it more effectively using artificial intelligence, provided we fully utilize available databases to predict the future actions of these organizations. Widespread illegality undermines our social fabric and diverts resources that could otherwise fund public goods. To tackle the issue of youth gangs, it is crucial to invest in schools and social spaces in peripheral areas. Additionally, providing legal sources of income to those in poverty is important. Our findings show that in already disadvantaged families, job loss or the costs associated with parenting push fathers towards crime. This is a crucial consideration for family support measures and social assistance programs.

The exodus of doctors and nurses, the emergency room crisis, and the forgotten lesson of the pandemic People are living longer, but the inequality in aging is growing. There are increasing disparities in longevity and the chances of having a long, healthy life, influenced by income, occupation, and place of birth. Meanwhile, young people are facing rising levels of depression. Italy’s universal healthcare system faces significant challenges. During the pandemic, we received nearly 200 billion euros from Europe. It was expected that we would use these substantial resources to prepare for these challenges. Instead, emergency medicine is in a constant state of crisis, with shortages of doctors in many specialties and an even greater shortage of nurses. With the Recovery and Resilience National Plan, we have taken on an additional 123 billion euros of debt and have no more funds for healthcare. Despite this, there are still many improvements that can be made even with limited resources.