摘要：It is a unanimously shared opinion that Italy's public debt has reached an unsustainable level. Furthermore, it is a very widespread opinion that the tax burden in Italy must remain constant. The former opinion has almost come to be a cliché, while the latter a political constraint. The article distinguishes the serious arguments on which these opinions are based from those that are spurious. An analysis of the reasons for unsustainability leads the author to argue that it is even greater if the political constraint on raising the tax burden is accepted. Some recommendations are provided regarding the conditions necessary to reduce the growth of debt at a rate that is not higher than the growth of GDP. The author concludes that the choice Italy faces is not simply between the cost of a relatively rapid readjustment and the search for alternatives that are impossible without costs. Rather, the choice is between smaller costs to bear in the shorter term or higher costs if protracted.
