Despite recovery, Italian society marked by "resentment, distrust": think tank report

ROME, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Italy is a polarized country marked by resentment and distrust for political leaders, according to Center for Social Investment Studies (Censis)'s the 51st annual report out Friday.

Founded in 1964, Censis is a social-economic think tank that has been issuing its wide-ranging annual report on the state of Italian society since 1967.

The ongoing economic recovery is not benefiting everyone equally, and this has generated resentment and nostalgia, according to the latest report.

"The recovery is ongoing, as confirmed by all economic indicators," the report said. For example, it noted that Italian industrial production added 2.3 percent in the first half of 2017, beating Germany and Spain (2.1 percent), the UK (1.9 percent), and France (1.3 percent).

As well, family consumer spending grew 4 percent in real terms in 2013-2016, and 78.2 percent of Italians said they are "very or sufficiently satisfied with their lifestyle."

However "the social dividend of the economic recovery is not being distributed, and stalled social mobility creates resentment," Censis experts wrote.

"87.3 percent of working class Italians think it is difficult to rise on the social ladder, as does 83.5 percent of the middle class and 71.4 percent of the high-income class," the report said.

As well, "the wave of distrust in politics and the institutions has spared no one," according to Censis. "84 percent of Italians distrust political parties, 78 percent have no trust in the government, 76 percent distrust parliament, and 70 percent distrust their local, regional and city institutions," the report found.

"It is no surprise that the social groups that have been most fragmented by the crisis, the technological revolution and the process of globalization are also the most sensitive to the siren calls of populism and nationalism," the report said.

"It's a chiaroscuro picture (of Italian society)," Censis chief Giorgio De Rita told RAI public broadcaster. "There are a lot of light areas, but we can't hide the fact that there are some shadows too." Enditem