16/04/2008 1:37:00 pm
Norberg, Berlusconi and Me. Johan Norberg writes on his blog about Berlusconi:

"For some reason, a lot of people think he is a liberal, and even my friend Johnny Munkhammar think that he can deliever "substantial reform" and says that "expectations are huge"."

This is what I wrote in the two sentences he quotes:

"This can be interpreted as a strong mandate for Berlusconi to launch substantial reforms. ... There is a great need and expectations are huge, so Berlusconi has to deliver."

I am not saying that he can or will deliver. I am just saying that he has a mandate to do it, and that many people expect him to. Johan disagrees about the latter point, and I think he is wrong.

Since Johan feels strongly about quoting correctly, I think this is a bit odd.

Anyway, I have studied what Berlusconi has said during the election campaign. Many very market-oriented things, for sure. But also the direct opposite, promising a "statist" economic policy, for example. His previous record is mixed, but the pension and labour market reforms he initiated are underestimated.

My point is that he has a good chance of reforming - if he chooses to do it. I hope that the good half of the policies is what he wants to do and the bad half is what he (wrongly) believed he had to say in order to win...

Update: Johan acknowledges my correction and points out that I am still hoping. Well, let me say that the day when Johan becomes a candidate for public office, I will feel certain in my support - until then, a susbtantial degree of hope is needed in most cases...