Padoan calls for more optimism, while warnng of century of stagnation

(ANSA) - Rome, December 16 - Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan told a meeting of Italian businesses on Wednesday that they had to be "more optimistic and aggressive" while also warning that decades of stagnation was not impossible.
    "It is necessary to raise the dimensions of our companies and consider investing outside (Italy), not just inside," Padoan said during a conference of CSC, the research unit of of industrial employers' confederation Confindustria.
    "The recovery exists, but it's weak," he continued. "We are coming off the back of the financial crisis and recession. I'm among those who believe the hypothesis of a century of stagnation is not so far-fetched". He added that to stop this being the case "we have to support investment". The minister said the government was doing its bit by moving faster on public investments.