Criticism of Italy's Made in Italy Bill: Insufficient for Fashion Industry

On May 31, the Italian Council of Ministers approved the 'Made in Italy' bill, allocating a sovereign fund of one billion euros to promote sectors including wood-furniture, textiles, nautical, ceramics, and goldsmithing. The bill includes measures for education, promotion, protection, and anti-counterfeiting. However, critics argue the bill reflects a partial and narrow vision of Made in Italy, which is not synonymous with the broader phenomenon of fashion. The fashion sector alone comprises over 60,000 companies and more than half a million employees. The bill lacks support for innovation—the word never appears in the document—and fails to address international competition, particularly from French luxury brands and Spanish, Japanese, and Swedish fast fashion. Additionally, the bill establishes an annual celebration on April 15 for Italy's historical and artistic beauties. The author criticizes the government's handling of the Patent Box tax incentive, which was reformed in 2022 under the Draghi government, harming successful SMEs in favor of multinationals. The Meloni government has not restored it, highlighting a structural disconnect between policymakers and the reality of Italian industry.