The European Union is squeezed in an economic vise: U.S. tariffs threaten its industrial base, while self-imposed sanctions on Russian energy force reliance on costly U.S. LNG, undermining competitiveness. This analysis examines how Europe reached this crisis and whether reopening Russian energy corridors offers a viable escape.
The juxtaposition is jarring: Venice hosts Jeff Bezos' $50 million wedding while locals flee Capri because teachers can't afford rent. This encapsulates modern Italy—a nation sacrificing its social fabric at the altar of short-term tourism gains while grappling with chronic economic paralysis and a vanishing youth population. Over the past 25 years, Italy has become a case study in mismanaged potential, where structural flaws intersect with a tourism economy that worsens inequality.