Italian unemployment hit a record low while real wages fell. Pay rose 2.5% against 3% inflation, and purchasing power is still 6.1% below its 2021 level.
Berlin called it a hostile attack and Rome blocked UniCredit at home. Now Commerzbank has opened talks and the ECB is leaning toward approving the takeover.
Gas sets the marginal price for close to half of Italian generation, leaving Italy with Europe's highest power prices and full exposure to global LNG swings.