I sympathize with Italians working in foreign countries. Also I have several friends that either by choice or necessity or both are now living and working far away from Italy. Also for a while, my wife and me seriously considered the option to relocate in Northern Europe.For this reason I am quite sensitive to the matter as one-who-would-have-loved-to-go-away-but-eventually-decided-to-stay could be.
I came across the Project for counter-exodus a while ago, I hoped it was a fade, but it came again and I find it upsetting.
The project consists in a law proposal for consistent tax deduction for Italians that after residing and working abroad at least for a couple of years decide to get back to Italy either as employee or entrepreneurs.
As many of Italian laws, this as well tries to solve a problem addressing (one of) the effects rather than cause. Italians go away from Italy for several reasons, most notably for widespread nepotism and patronage that locks out bright people from key roles in companies; for lack of advanced industries (videogaming just to name the one where my heart is); for low wages and then for a lot of minor facts ranging from pollution to politics.
I completely agree to facilitate the comeback of Italians so that all them could happily live where their families and most of their friends are. But this can be done by improving Italy for everyone, rather than grant special privileges to those who return. Why should I be penalized only because I didn’t escape? Just going to work in a foreign country is a sure grant of being a genius who deserves a special treatment? Why shouldn’t I deserve some sort of help in the nonsense jungle of setting up a company if I have a good idea with a sound business plan?
It is never too late to do the right thing and once in a while it would be nice if the problem would be solved the proper way once and for all.