Inequality, democracy and social cohesion

Economic and political debate is continuously focused on the theme of inequality of income and standards of living of individuals and families.  

A large amount of empirical evidence has demonstrated that, from the 1980s onwards the distribution of income in the majority of developed countries has become more unequal and even more concentrated in favour of some privileged groups.  During the crisis in many developed countries, notable increases in inequality of market revenues (gross wage and property income, without taking into account taxation and transfer of welfare services ) were apparent.  Furthermore, a growing amount of research underlines how excessive inequality negatively impacts economic growth and social cohesion (for example, restricting opportunities for the most disadvantaged to invest in the education of their children) and how a heavily uneven concentration of income can reduce the wellbeing of a large portion of individuals, once again undermining social cohesion and the existence of a universal welfare state.

Closing the second edition of Social Cohesion Days are two special guests, Romano Prodi and Francois Bourguignon who – moderated by Riccardo Iacona – will go through the causes of growing world inequality, the connection with technological progress and globalisation, and the strategies capable of reducing the phenomenon. 

Keynote dialogue between Romano Prodi and François Bourguignon

Facilitator: Riccardo Iacona
ENGLISH TRANSLATION AVAILABLE