THE VACCINE OF REASON Liberty and Growth after the Pandemic Edited by Nicola Galati and Lorena Villa The Vaccine of Reason Liberty and Growth after the pandemic Preface by Davide Giacalone Afterword by Giuseppe Benedetto Edited by Nicola Galati and Lorena Villa The Vaccine of Reason – Liberty and Growth after the Pandemic Edited by Nicola Galati and Lorena Villa, Fondazione Luigi Einaudi European Liberal Forum asbl Rue d’Idalie 11-13, boite 6, 1050 Ixelles, Brussels (BE) [email protected] www.liberalforum.eu Fondazione Luigi Einaudi Onlus Via della Conciliazione, 10, 00193 Roma [email protected] www.fondazioneluigieinaudi.it Translation courtesy of Matteo Quattrociocchi Proofreading and language editing by Antonella Spagnoli Graphic design by Martina Raspa Printer: Rubbettino Editore s.r.l., Italy, 2021 ISBN: 978-2-39067-004-9 Published by the European Liberal Forum in cooperation with Fonda- zione Luigi Einaudi Onlus. Co-funded by the European Parliament. The views expressed herein are those of the author(s) alone. These views do not necessarily reflect those of the European Parliament and/or the European Liberal Forum asbl. ABOUT ELF The European Liberal Forum (ELF) is the official political foundation of the European Liberal Party, the ALDE Party. To- gether with 47 member organisations, we work all over Eu- rope to bring new ideas into the political debate, to provide a platform for discussion, and to empower citizens to make their voices heard. ELF was founded in 2007 to strengthen the liberal and democrat movement in Europe. Our work is guided by liberal ideals and a belief in the principle of freedom. We stand for a future-oriented Europe that offers opportunities for eve- ry citizen. ELF is engaged on all political levels, from the local to the European. We bring together a diverse network of national foundations, think tanks and other experts. At the same time, we are also close to, but independent from, the ALDE Party and other Liberal actors in Europe. In this role, our forum serves as a space for an open and informed exchange of views between a wide range of different actors. FONDAZIONE LUIGI EINAUDI ONLUS The Luigi Einaudi Foundation is a think tank promoting libe- ral ideas and the liberal political thought. Founded in 1962 by Mr. Giovanni Malagodi, the Foundation promotes liberalism as an instrument to elaborate original responses to the comple- xity of the current issues related to globalization and to the progressively increasing technological evolution, with the goal of fostering individual liberties and economic prosperity. The Foundation engages in guaranteeing to every citizen the condi- tions to grow as a human being, to live in wealth, and thrive in peace, through the recognition of diversities, the safeguard of human liberties and freedoms, as well as through the promo- tion of constructive discussions on facts and ideas. TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE Davide Giacalone 1 SECTION I – ECONOMICS 9 Coronaeconomy Davide Giacalone 10 Disguised as Marshall Davide Giacalone 12 Coronavirus. The Luigi Einaudi Foundation’s opinion: “Act today for the benefit of tomorrow” Davide Giacalone 14 Proclaiming recession Davide Giacalone 16 The big misunderstanding. Italian people don’t deserve it Elena Vigliano 18 Sidenote to the eight points: from a number to a formula for its recovery Brunella Bruno 20 Serological analysis: a test #torecover Gippy Rubinetti 23 50 billion urge, immediately Davide Giacalone 25 If not now, when: adjusting corporate taxation to the European OECD average Elena Vigliano 27 A massive mess Giuseppe Bozzi 29 The coronavirus crisis: which opportunities Emma Galli – Paola Brunetti 30 After the virus, the chaos Davide Giacalone 33 A republic funded on labour and on the “Landinis” Massimiliano Armetta 35 Credit and eyesore Davide Giacalone 37 An isolated but significant downgrading Davide Giacalone 39 Too much care, too little relaunch Davide Giacalone 41 Forced to grow Davide Giacalon 43 SECTION II - POLITICS 45 Incredibles and incredulous Davide Giacalone 46 Don’t ask science Davide Giacalone 48 See you out for dinner Davide Giacalone 49 Covid-19 pandemic – the real challenge: planning tomorrow. Three suggestions for a concrete action Mattia Crosetto 51 Appealing for freedom Carlo Marsonet 55 An anti-fake news task force today. What about tomorrow? Andrea Pruiti Ciarello 57 The politics of pandemic Enzo Iachello 61 Fake news strike again. The consequences of a false information in Italy Martina Dlabajovà 65 The believers at the time of coronavirus. How the Catholics live the current threat Pietro Natale Belluso 69 The price of freedom is the everlasting surveillance Lorenzo Infantino – Emanuele Raco 73 Public opinion is always the same… or nearly Giuseppe Benedetto 77 The App Immuni Sergio Boccadutri 79 SECTION III – LEGAL 83 Are we more Khomeinist than the Ayatollah? Nicola Galati 84 From the habeas corpus to the videas corpus Nicola Galati 88 On Crimes and Punishments at the time of Coronavirus Ezechia Paolo Reale 90 The health emergency and the rule of law in Italy Lorena Villa - Nicola Galati 96 Covid-19 and accidents at work. Serious risks for the entrepreneurs Giuseppe Benedetto – Antonio Trimboli 99 The employer’s liability for infections from Covid-19 Massimiliano Annetta 101 SECTION IV – ADMINISTRATION AND INSTITUTIONS 103 The need of a committee inquiring on the management of the Covid-19 emergency Andrea Pruiti Ciarello 104 The damages caused by populism and demagogy at the times of Covid-19 Andrea Pruiti Ciarello 107 Back on board, MPs! Ezechia Paolo Reale 110 Redistributive policies failed. Autonomy is the right path Lorenzo Infantino – Luigi Mascheroni 115 Decrees à gogo, troubles and opacity. Conte tested positive to the “authoritarian”-virus Andrea Pruiti Ciarello 118 The law of the emergency. Ex facto oritur jus? Ezechia Paolo Reale 121 In the name of public health we are suspending our constitutional guarantees Giuseppe Bozzi 127 The Constitution is not an optional Giuseppe Bozzi 129 Covid-19. A chance to rethink to a federalism “from the bottom” Lorena Villa 132 Too much behind the curtains Ezechia Paolo Reale 135 Conte tested positive to the “God Almighty”-syndrome Piero Tony 137 The administrative simplification. When the remedy to evil is worse than evil Giovanni Bovi 143 The Relaunch Decree: the art of getting the easy more difficult Marco Mariani 146 SECTION V – INTERNATIONAL 151 The mistake and the relaunch Davide Giacalone 152 Last call Europe: Einaudi’s warning to the Europe of tomorrow Giovanni Bovi 154 Fair, necessary, urgent Davide Giacalone 157 The European Union risks to be a painful regret Andrea Pruiti Ciarello 159 The lack of a European Civil Protection Niccolò Rinaldi 163 Compromise and dull phalanxes Davide Giacalone 165 What is the EU doing for Italy? Enea Franza 167 Sovereignism. A threat for the future of Europe Paola Brunetti - Emma Galli 172 ESM. Not only Greece Roberto Ricciuti 176 Europe is a path Roberto Ricciuti 178 The EU puzzle: is building a common fiscal policy even thinkable? Paola Brunetti – Emma Galli 180 ESM Matteo Grossi 182 The future of Italy is in Europe - Paola Brunetti Emma Galli 185 The liberal model of the Western World at stake Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata 188 Authoritarian drift in China: the handling of the virus confirms so Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata 191 Lessons on the World learnt after the Covid-19 pandemic Maddalena Pezzotti 196 CONCLUSIONS Nicola Galati 203 AFTERWORD. The virus and the thin red line that Conte (already) crossed Giuseppe Benedetto 207 PREFACE “Justice does not exist when freedom lacks”. Luigi Einaudi Freedom is responsibility. Reckless persons are not free men, but degenerates seeking ultimate limitations upon which infringing. In certain situations, it is necessary to put constraints to freedom for reasons of security and public health. I have a fast car, I am a good driver, why should my freedom to exceed speed limits be limited? Because streets are for everyone, be- cause whoever has this type of thought is probably a mytho- maniac, because if this person is going to have a car accident and survives this will indirectly generate a public health-related cost and, in any case, because it would be an enormous risk for other drivers. That’s why his freedom to exceed the speed limit shall be constrained. Other thing is instead when it seems like our legs are being pulled, when the government thinks that enclosing people at home seems a good strategy to save their positions. The path of the reason goes always through the alle- ged absolute truths, avoiding dictators. Fondazione Luigi Einaudi asked the Presidency of the Council to read the reports of the Scientific Technical- Com mittee (from here on, STC). Namely, these reports were the grounds for the government to order restrictions of freedom for citizens. The Presidency denied the Foundation request, and this latter started a legal action. The Tribunal ordered their di- sclosure. The Presidency then appointed Avvocatura dello Stato (technical organ which has the advantage to be formally sepa- rated from the public administration it defends whilst belon- ging to the state administration) to appeal before the Italian Council of the State. They changed their minds pending trial: they withdrew their appeal and published the reports. Some have considered Fondazione Luigi Einaudi as against the appli- cation of the COVID-19 related restrictions. This is profoundly wrong. Freedom shall not be safeguarded by applying any pos- sible limitation to it – limitations that, as we have seen, may sometimes be necessary. Freedom is safeguarded when limi- tations to it are grounded on a legal basis. Is the government ordering people to stay home after they have read the STC re- ports? All right, I’ll stay home. May I read these reports as well? What if the answer is “no”? If the government says “no”, then I should imply that anyone in a foreseeable future is allowed to restrict my freedom with such serious measures on the basis of confidential documents.