Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has described the European Union as a bureaucratic and shortsighted giant that sacrifices the continent's competitiveness. At an event with the employers' association Confindustria, its president Orsini echoed the criticism, demanding an end to excessive regulation. Meloni defended national industry and called for collaboration beyond ideological differences to reform the system.
The digital burden of excessive regulations 📉
For the technology sector, European bureaucracy translates into slowness and additional costs. Software and hardware development companies allocate up to 30% of their resources to complying with compliance regulations and sustainability reports, according to industry studies. This stifles innovation compared to markets like the US or Asia. The solution, analysts point out, lies in simplifying processes and avoiding regulatory duplication between Brussels and member states.
Brussels demands a 200-page report to order a coffee ☕
While Meloni calls for common sense, in Brussels it seems every directive comes with its own weight in paper. Rumors suggest that soon an environmental impact study, three notary signatures, and a sustainability certificate will be needed to order an espresso in Rome. The best part is that while the EU decides whether coffee should be called hot infusion, Italy will have already lost two decades of competitiveness.