The Pontignano Conference, established in 1993, brings together the British and Italian politicians, parliamentarians, business people, academics, journalists and other opinion formers. The themes under discussion at the Conference are the key issues facing Britain and Italy in Europe today. It is chaired by Chris Patten and Prof. Giuliano Amato and takes place every year in September. The Conference is organised by the British Council and the British Embassy in Rome in collaboration  with the Italian Embassy in London, the University of Siena and St Antony's College, Oxford.

Pontignano XVII
18 - 20 September 2009
“After the Crash"”

It will come as no surprise that the theme of Pontignano XVII was the economic crisis currently facing the world. However, rather than concentrating on the current doom and gloom, we have instead looked at the opportunities and risks in the new world which emerges after the crash. For instance, will we see a resurgence of economic nationalism and protectionism? What domestic policies will we see as a result? What will the new governance structures and financial regulations look like? Is government intervention in the market an emergency tool, or the new norm? Can governments really spend their way out of this, and if so, is spending on infrastructure projects and stimulating a “green recovery” the way out?

Pontignano in Rome
While the format of the conference remained the same, we have taken the opportunity this year to move the location to Rome: apart from providing better value for money, this has encouraged greater ministerial involvement. The conference, which is held under Chatham House Rules, opened on the evening of Friday 18 September at the Villa Wolkonsky, with a debate between two key thinkers, looking at the effect of the crisis on the traditional standpoints of the left and the right. John Peet of the Economist Intelligence Unit also presented a statistical overview for the conference theme.
On. Giulio Tremonti took also part at the Opening Session.
On Saturday 19 September participants  split into four working groups to look in greater detail at the following topics. Each working group was tasked to come up with three main points to be presented at the Plenary Discussion on the Saturday afternoon.

The programme in detail
Young people and the crisis: Comparison between Italy and UK

Groups
1. Impact on Economic Policies
As we emerge from the crisis, what changes to domestic policies do we expect to see? Will the markets look the same, and will competition still be valued and prioritised in the same way as it was before government interventions and the nationalisation of assets? Has the relationship between the market and the state been reversed? Can the finance community and bankers find common ground as they prepare for more severe regulation? Does Italy have a different outlook on the regulation of the finance sector to the UK and USA?
2. Impact on European societies
The crisis is changing society and how we think. We are confronted by a real risk of resurgence in protectionism and economic nationalism in response to the crisis. If so, is the UK in danger of being caught between Europe and the USA again? Will further enlargement be put on hold? Does Italy support Merkel’s stand against the Anglo-Saxon model in favour of the social market – and where does the UK now stand? How will society and public opinion have changed, and how will the left and right respond to this? As the world rethinks the importance of families, local communities and welfare provision, will this narrow even further the ideological differences between political parties?
3. Impact on International Affairs
There is a wide consensus on the need to change international governance structures to reflect the new balance of political and economic power. What will these new structures look like? How do we resolve the tension between greater legitimacy from broader representation, and effectiveness? How can these new bodies relate to the business world? Should the European Commission have a greater coordinating role? How should we deal with the impotence of the WTO and the threat of increased bilateralism? Are the decisions coming from the G20 (April) and G8 (July) summits taking us in the right direction?
4. Impact on the Climate Change Agenda and the Environment
The scientists are telling us that little to no progress is being made in limiting our carbon emissions; while at the same time the energy sector is saying that R&D is hugely expensive and complex. Will the crisis therefore put agreed targets even further out of reach? How do we re-establish a sense of urgency on these issues in the run up to the Copenhagen conference? Is a green recovery a possibility or a myth? Do Italians and Brits share a sense of opportunity here, or not?

On Sunday 20 September the conference concluded with a general plenary discussion of issues of the day that were of direct concern to the UK and Italy.