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World Watch Report CONFIDENTIAL WORLD WATCH® REPORT ­­ON­­ Italy Date: 07/13/2018 19:40:02 GMT / UTC UnitedHealthcare Global Risk | 2925 Briarpark Drive, 11th Floor | Houston, Texas 77042 | ph: (713) 430­7300 | email: [email protected] | url: www.uhcglobal.com World Watch® is confidential and is intended solely for the information and use of UnitedHealthcare Global's clients. Given the nature of the information, UnitedHealthcare Global does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information because agencies outside the control of UnitedHealthcare Global contribute information to World Watch®. While UnitedHealthcare Global vets and verifies all information with the utmost care and consideration for the end user, UnitedHealthcare Global does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information and specifically disclaims all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of, or reliance upon, any of the information on this site, including customized reports created by clients. Any alteration or modification of the content of World Watch®, either from the website or via printed reports, is strictly prohibited. For more information, please contact us at [email protected] or visit www.uhcglobal.com. Copyright © 2018 UnitedHealthcare Global. All rights reserved. For Terms and Conditions go to Terms Of Use World Watch® Report from UnitedHealthcare Global Italy Executive Summary for Italy Italy is located in southern Europe, bordered on three sides by the Adriatic Sea, the Ionian Sea and Tyrrhenian Sea; to the north, Italy is bordered by Austria, France, Slovenia and Switzerland. Italy is a significant cultural and economic hub of Europe, as well as a major tourist destination. Rome, located in central Italy near the western coast, serves as the country's capital city. Italy's political parties are currently struggling to form a coalition government after inconclusive elections in March 2018. Once formed the new government will likely struggle with the same issues as past governments, namely economic reform and the migrant crisis. Paolo Gentiloni has served as prime minister since December 2016. The overall assessment of threats in Italy is Medium. The primary security concern for travelers to the country is crime. Most incidents that affect foreign visitors involve petty theft, such as bag snatching and pickpocketing. Organized criminal groups remain entrenched in southern areas of the country; while this is a concern for overall security conditions in the country, the activities of these criminal enterprises rarely affect foreign visitors. Strikes in various sectors of the economy occur frequently in Italy and may cause disruptions to services used by travelers. Street demonstrations also occur frequently throughout the country. Although demonstrations do occasionally turn violent, the main concern for foreign visitors is the potential for these actions to cause disruptions to traffic in the area where they are taking place. Terrorism perpetrated by transnational groups and "homegrown" militants remains a concern in Italy. In addition, anarchist groups have carried out small bombing attacks on government­related facilities and multinational corporations in recent years. These attacks are generally meant to be demonstrative rather than aimed at causing serious damage or casualties. Italy Information Country Facts Current Analysis Official Italian Republic Country Name Italy recently held general elections in March 2018, resulting in inconclusive Type Of Republic results with no party winning an absolute majority. Prime Minister Paolo Government Gentiloni took office in December 2016 and will head the government until a Leadership President Sergio Mattarella; Head new coalition government is formed. In January 2015, the Italian parliament of Government: Prime Minister elected Sergio Mattarella as the new president, replacing Giorgio Napolitano. Paolo Gentiloni Italy faces several economic problems, including persistent unemployment. Capital Rome Political Situation Official Italian Language The Italian parliament is currently in negotiations to form a coalition government Population 60.8 million after inconclusive elections on 4 March 2018, in which the Democratic Party Ethnic Italian, small numbers of (PD) won 19 per cent of the vote, while the Five Star Movement won 32 per cent Divisions Germans, French, Slovenians and and the center­right coalition won 37 per cent. Italy’s struggling economy will Albanians likely remain the most pressing issue facing the current government. Prime Religion Roman Catholic (90%), others Minister Paolo Gentiloni will remain in his position at least until a government is (10%) formed. Growth ­0.5% (Q3 2014) International Relations Growth 0.3% (2016) While Italy has long been an entry point for illegal immigrants, since 2015 the Inflation 0.2% (2014) stream of refugees and migrants has far surpassed the usual levels. Italy has Unemployment 13.2% (2014) partnered with other European countries to help monitor the Mediterranean Sea for boats ­­ typically highly unsafe and very crowded ­­ carrying refugees and Currency Euro migrants from North Africa and the Middle East. While many European countries Office Work Monday­Friday have taken measures to address the crisis, tensions between Italy and the Week European Union (EU) have at times increased when Italians have claimed that Time Zone UTC +1 too much of the burden continued to fall on Italy. Offset Economic Situation Country Phone 39 Code World Watch® Report from UnitedHealthcare Global The economic situation in Italy has been somewhat unstable over the past two Capital City 6 years. Despite an increasing GDP, widespread unemployment ­­ which ranks Phone Code among the highest in the eurozone ­­ remains a major problem in the country. Nationwide 112 World Bank's Ease of Doing Business report ranks Italy as 46th out of 190 Emergency countries and the Heritage Foundation ranks Italy as 79th out of 180 countries on Number(s) their 2018 Index of Economic Freedom, indicating Italy's economy is "somewhat Electricity 230 volts, 50 cycles AC free." Meanwhile, Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index Plug Styles Type C & Type F & Type L 2017 ranked Italy 54th out of 180 countries, indicating Italy is moderately corrupt. Security Issues Crime, especially petty theft, is the primary security concern for travelers. Italy experiences frequent strikes, which may affect services used by travelers. Demonstrations and protests occur very often in Italy, particularly in the larger cities. Terrorism remains a concern in Italy due to the prevailing global situation, past threats and the country's alliance with the United States. Earthquakes are also a concern, particularly in central Italy. Crime Crime is the security concern travelers are most likely to encounter in Italy. In larger Italian cities, most crime affecting visitors typically involves petty, opportunistic crime such as purse snatching and pickpocketing. Foreigners are sometimes targeted by petty criminals because of their perceived wealth and because they are more easily distracted than locals. There is also a large number of reported passport thefts each year. Theft from vehicles and apartment break­ins are also relatively common in Italy. While crime is usually nonviolent, victims have been physically harmed if they resist. Mafia groups wield considerable economic and political influence in Italy; however, most travelers are not affected by organized criminal activities. The three largest mafia groups include the Cosa Nostra in Sicily, the Camorra in Naples and the ‘Ndrangheta in Calabria. These organized crime groups are involved in drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, money laundering, hijacking, kidnapping, extortion, theft, corruption and many other illegal moneymaking operations. Historically, more than one­third of all homicides in Italy have been attributed to organized crime. Many businesses in Italy are forced to pay protection money, which is locally known as "pizzo." Mafia groups are most powerful in the southern provinces of Calabria, Puglia, Campania and Sicily. As an illustration of the widespread influence of organized crime in these regions, up to 80 percent of businesses in Catania and Puglia in Sicily reportedly have to pay protection money to these groups on a regular basis. Strikes Strikes involving various sectors of the economy occur frequently in Italy. Lawmakers have passed measures with the intent of minimizing the disruptions related to industrial actions, particularly in the transportation sector. Despite these efforts, strikes continue to regularly occur and can cause significant disruptions to public and private services used by travelers. Labor actions are sometimes called with little prior notice, so travelers should keep abreast of announcements ahead of and during their trip. Demonstrations Protests and demonstrations related to labor actions and political, economic and social issues also occur frequently in Italy, especially in larger cities such as Rome and Milan. Most of the recent protests and demonstrations have been prompted by government austerity measures undertaken to address Italy’s public debt issues. Italian security forces are effective at maintaining order during these events; however, incidents of violence occasionally occur. Street demonstrations may also cause disruptions to traffic in the vicinity of where
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