Italy could witness violent protests

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has warned that Italy may suffer from violent social disorder if reforms are not adopted to help citizens.

People “could get involved in haphazard and even violent protests in an extreme and unfruitful surge of total opposition to politics and institutions,” Napolitano said in an address at the presidential palace in Rome on Monday.

“The recession is still biting… we need strong measures beyond those approved by the government and the parliament this year and the last,” he added.

He also warned about the risk of social problems, which should not be forgotten.

“The crisis affecting the eurozone has put a strain on social cohesion. The most detailed forecasts for 2014 indicate a risk of widespread social tension and unrest: a risk that must been kept in mind and confronted in Italy,” the Italian president stated.

Warning by the president was confirmed by information from national statistics office, Istat, indicating that one third of the country’s population are in danger of poverty or social exclusion.

The data, combining information on the danger of poverty, harsh material difficulties and low work level, showed that 29.9 percent of the people were in at least one of the three groups.

Over the past decade, Italy has been the slowest growing economy in the eurozone as tough austerity measures, spending cuts, and pension changes have stirred serious concerns for many people already grappling with the ailing economy.

Italians have been staging protests against high unemployment, economic adversity and hardship over a series of government-imposed austerity packages in the recent past.