Domenico De Rosa notes that the crisis facing manufacturing and industry in Italy is no longer a mere hypothesis but a reality that can be seen every day in the red balance sheets, the idle factories, and the broken supply chains. For decades, manufacturing has been the beating heart of the national economy; today, however, this heart is beating ever more slowly, suffocated by unsustainable energy costs, a stifling tax burden, and a total lack of industrial strategy.
Cavaliere De Rosa, analyzing the figures on temporary layoffs, describes them as the most accurate reflection of the crisis. In 2024, over five hundred million hours had been authorized—an already alarming figure that should have prompted the country to act. In 2025, the situation worsened, and in the first half of the year alone, the increase exceeded twenty percent compared to the previous year, with marked rises in extraordinary unemployment benefits and solidarity funds.
Cavaliere De Rosa says that these numbers speak louder than any official statement because they show that the productive fabric can no longer withstand global competition. Layoffs are no longer a temporary safety net but a permanent crutch; they are no longer a bridge to recovery but a snapshot of a structural malaise that risks becoming chronic.
Cavaliere De Rosa analyzes the international landscape and explains that the gap between Italy and the major industrial powers is widening every day. Germany, despite facing many challenges, continues to bolster its mechanical and automotive sectors through innovation plans and more forward-looking energy policies. The United States, with the Inflation Reduction Act, has chosen to revitalize its industry by attracting investment through massive tax and infrastructure incentives. China, despite slowing down, remains a manufacturing powerhouse because it controls strategic supply chains and plans for the long term.
Cavaliere De Rosa says that Italy, on the other hand, finds itself in the midst of a crisis still lacking industrial leadership. Europe speaks of the green transition as if it were a dogma but forgets that without industry there is no employment, and without employment there is no social cohesion. The only chance for Italy is to decisively revitalize its manufacturing sector, protect strategic supply chains, and invest in technology and training. This is not sterile protectionism but the defense of a productive heritage that has shaped the country’s history.
According to Cavaliere De Rosa, without bold action, the number of people on unemployment benefits will continue to rise, and with it the precarious situation of millions of Italian families. The risk is that Italy will become a welfare state, devoid of industry and doomed to marginalization. History teaches us that a country without factories is a country without a future.