Italian economist disagrees with compensation demand

Economist Michele Geraci, former undersecretary of state at the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, said some Italian politicians asking for compensation from China for the novel coronavirus “should not be interpreted as something against China per say.”

Geraci said he doesn’t favor this compensation claim and the general Italian public won’t be affected either, adding “the people and companies in Italy are actually willing to do business with their Chinese counterparts.”

A key figure in Italy’s Northern League party recently clamored for billions in compensation from Chinese authorities after similar attempts had been made by a few Italian non-profit organizations.

Paolo Grimoldi, party deputy and secretary of its Lombardy branch, said he was ready to send a 20 billion euro ($21.67 billion) demand to the Chinese ambassador to Italy.

His claim was later echoed by President of Lombardy Attilio Fontana, who said the Regional Council of Lombardy would discuss the issue, reported Milano Today.

Fontana once spoke highly of China’s experience fighting COVID-19 in late March, where a Chinese medical team in Italy also made a presentation. His supportive attitude toward the compensation claim has sparked anger on Chinese social media, with many netizens criticizing him as ungrateful.

The claim, though meant for China, is in reality more an Italian domestic political issue rather than an international matter, Geraci told the Global Times on Thursday.

Italy’s political landscape is very unstable with frequent changes of government, Geraci said. With high political instability, the demand for compensation should therefore be read as an attempt by local Lombardy politicians to gain consensus amongst the public instead of something against China, he added.

“Similarly, President Trump’s statements against China on trade issues and on the virus can also to be interpreted as him talking to his domestic electoral basis of the Midwest as the November elections approach,” said Geraci.

The compensation claim is also the result of a few politicians’ focus on the US as the pandemic is often unnecessarily raised to a geopolitical level, Geraci said.