Spotlight

For much of the last few decades, Chile was considered a stable, predictable country; some even went as far as describing it as a success story in a permanently unstable Latin America. Such apparent stability, though, was gruesomely dismantled in October 2019, when about 1 million people took on the streets in open demonstrations against the government to demand a higher degree of equality and better public services. At least 30 protestors lost their lives in the riots, but the government agreed to increase social service expenditures and to rewrite the constitution that had been put together during Augusto Pinochet’s rule. In May 2021, a minority-friendly constitutional assembly was elected by the Chilean people and is currently working on drafting a new constitution that is bound to an extremely significant impact on the country’s future, especially when it comes to minority rights. Despite the government’s attempts to preserve it, the afore-mentioned stability has yet to be recovered, and social tension was never really extinguished, but on the contrary, it has seemingly increased. Last month, a state of emergency was declared in Southern Chile in response to arson attacks against logging companies, and in the riots that took place in October to commemorate the protests from 2019 as many as 2 people died and 450 were arrested by the police.  

It is in this climate of instability that yesterday’s first-round of Presidential Elections took place, a contest which saw directly opposite ideological positions clash against each other, as The Economist described the race between the two main candidates, 35-year-old leftist Gabriel Boric, and 55-year-old far right candidate José Antonio Kast as a “contest between extremists”. Mr. Boric has promised to lead the country closer to the requests of the protestors, an objective that is achievable only through a sharp increase in taxes, while Mr. Kast’s conservative, pro-Pinochet positions would anticipate a period of scarce social reforms but high investment in security. As a second-round of the election will be needed to determine the next president, Chile’s current situation is a reminder of a potentially dangerous reality that is becoming increasingly widespread: extreme political polarization is the new norm.

Around the World

Austria announces Covid Vaccine mandate, crossing a threshold for Europe. On Friday, Austria became the first Western democracy to announce that it would mandate Covid vaccinations for its entire adult population as it prepared for a nationwide lockdown that starts today. Such extraordinary measure made for another alarming statement about the severity of the fourth wave of the virus in Europe, which is now effectively the epicenter of the pandemic. And all across Europe, protests erupted against tightened Covid-19 regulations to counter the renewed spread of the virus.

Belarusian border crisis could last for months, says Polish minister. Poland’s defense minister has said that the crisis on the Belarusian border over the migrants that are currently stuck in a no man’s land between the two countries’ borders could last for months, as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke twice this week but have reportedly not yet agreed on a solution and are not scheduled to meet again in the coming days.

India closes coal-fired plants as New Delhi is smothered in toxic smog. Indian regulators have closed six of the eleven coal-fired power plants within a 300 km radius of New Delhi, as the capital has been blanketed by toxic smog for nearly two weeks. The Commission for Air Quality Management also closed schools and colleges until, further notice, banned private construction work and restricted the entry of trucks into the city until November 21^st.

Sudan military agrees to reinstate PM and release political detainees. Sudan’s military coup leader has announced the release of the detained civilian prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, and other political prisoners, as the country’s pro-democracy movement vowed to continue with protests. After weeks of lethal turmoil following the country’s October coup, the agreement to release Hamdok and set up a new largely technocratic cabinet was mediated by US and UN officials.

The US fears Russia may want to invade Ukraine. American intelligence officials are worried that the Russian troop buildup close to the border with Ukraine may lead to an invasion of a part of the country, possibly to secure a land connection with occupied Crimea. And with limited gas supply, European countries may be reluctant to intervene with additional sanctions against Russia.

Japan approves a $490 billion economic stimulus package as the pandemic’s effects linger. On Friday, Japan’s government agreed to spend $490 billion on stimulus measures to boost an economy battered by coronavirus vaccines and by a supply chain shock that has affected the country’s largest manufacturers.

The Biden-Xi talks did not lead to real progress, but at least softened tones. President Biden of the United States and President Xi of China met virtually on Monday. The two leaders pledged to collaborate on issues where the interests of their countries coincide and not to let competition between the US and China escalate into conflict. Despite the relatively friendly tone, they fell short of making any commitment.

Republicans may win the 2022 elections thanks to redistricting alone. According to the New York Times, the redrawing of congressional maps in the US has been so far characterized by widespread gerrymandering, primarily by Republicans. The practice may end up creating enough safe districts for Republicans to enable them to win the 2022 election even without gaining votes with respect to the previous elections.

Bank of England under pressure to increase interest rates after inflation rise. Inflation in the UK has increased to 4.2% in October from 3.1&, driven by squeeze on living standards and soaring energy prices. The Bank of England is now under mounting pressure to increase interest rates next month to avoid the situation becoming critical.

Over 100,000 Americans have died of drug overdoses during the pandemic. According to federal researchers, Americans died of drug overdoses in record numbers as the pandemic spread across the country, due to lost access to treatment, rising mental health problems and wider availability of dangerously potent new street drugs. The figures, which refer to the period that goes from April 2020 to April 2021, show 100,000 deaths, up almost 30% from the 78,000 deaths in the prior year.

The US House of Representatives passed Biden’s Build Back Better bill. The US House of Representatives narrowly passed on Friday President Biden’s social safety net and climate change bill. The $2.2 trillion plan is likely to face challenges in the evenly divided Senate.

Italian News

Kkr è pronta a un’Opa “amichevole” su Tim. Il gruppo d’investimenti americano Kkr ha trasmesso a Tim una manifestazione d’interesse a lanciare un’Opa totalitaria sull’azienda. Kkr ha definito l’offerta “amichevole” e volta a ottenere il sostegno della società e del governo, che gode di diversi poteri nell’ambito delle telecomunicazioni per via del golden power e potrebbe decidere di scorporare e rinazionalizzare la rete di Tim.

Cosa c’è nell’inchiesta su Renzi e la Fondazione Open. L’inchiesta della procura di Firenze sulla Fondazione Open, che dal 2012 al 2018 finanziava parte delle attività dell’ex segretario del Partito Democratico Matteo Renzi, è stata riportata all’attenzione del pubblico a causa di nuovi dettagli che sono emersi ultimamente. L’accusa principale della procura di Firenze è che Renzi abbia utilizzato la fondazione Open per finanziare il suo partito, raccogliendo soldi da privati per eventi legati alla propria attività, senza però che questa rispettasse i requisiti di trasparenza e tracciabilità richiesti alle fondazioni che agiscono come organi di partito.

La procura di Santa Maria Capua Vetere ha chiesto il rinvio a giudizio di 108 persone per le violenze contr i detenuti avvenute il 6 aprile 2020 nel carcere campano. Sono tutti agenti di polizia penitenziaria e funzionari dell’amministrazione delle carceri, accusati di tortura, lesioni aggravate, abuso di autorità e falso in atto pubblico.

Governo, assegno unico, ok Cdm al decreto attuativo. Il Consiglio dei ministri ha approvato il decreto legislativo attuativo dell’assegno unico che entrerà a regime dal 2022. Il provvedimento ora dovrà passare al vaglio delle commissioni competenti delle Camere per il parere, prima del via libera definitivo.

Astrazeneca trasferisce la sua sede a Milano (al Mind). Astrazeneca trasferirà la sua sede nel Milano Innovation District (MIND). Ad annunciarlo è il Presidente della regione Attilio Fontana, il quale dichiara: “è una decisione che rappresenta anche una leva strategica in un contesto collaborativo e multidisciplinare dove sviluppare progetti di innovazione entrando concretamente a far parte di un ecosistema di competenze, risorse, tecnologie e attività di ricerca e sviluppo”.

Cos’è il trattato del Quirinale italo-francese che Draghi e Macron firmeranno tra una settimana? E perchè se ne sa poco o nulla? La prossima settimana sarà siglato un accordo bilaterale tra Roma e Parigi che dovrebbe affrontare temi cruciali, come la difesa comune e la cooperazione economica. La procedura, come da prassi, è chiusa al Parlamento. I trattati internazionali, infatti, possono essere siglati dalle diplomazie dei Paesi senza il coinvolgimento dei deputati o dei senatori. Macron giungerà a Roma la prossima settimana per firmare un accordo che, secondo gli esperti, avrà un’enorme portata storica.

Bocconi News

Last week, CLMG students have been able to attend two questions and answer sessions on the Themis and Double Degree program, allowing for a direct confrontation with older students

In the last week, the situation in the Ravizza Park has grown increasingly worrying: more and more students have reported assaults both inside and outside the park areas. The representatives have asked the university for a car of security to station between the university and the Park to give a reference point to the people passing through, but the situation remains critical, with people even claiming that shootings have occurred in the last days.

On Wednesday, 17^th of November, the Bocconi Art Gallery in the Bocconi Campus opened the doors to the public for an afternoon of guided tours through the works of art on campus.

The students representatives at the Sports Committee have obtained an Open Week for Bocconi students, staff and faculty at Aquamore, the pool of the Bocconi Sport Centre: from the 22^nd to 27^th of November, everyone will have free access to the pool to practice swimming personally, from 6.30 to 16.30, or to attend the Aquafitness courses (upon registration, either by email or at the reception desk at the Bocconi Sport Centre at least 24 hours before the course)

Long Read

According to a new analysis, a significant share of the global democratic backsliding in the last decade is to be accounted for by the US and its allies. It’s true that American allies remain, on average, more democratic than the rest of the world, but since 2010, Washington-aligned countries backslid at nearly double the rate of non-allies. Is it time to start rethinking American influence? Max Fisher, for The New York Times, analyzes the causes and consequences of such backsliding, providing interesting insights on potential changes that we may be about to experience in such regards. You can find the full piece here.

In Case You Missed it

On the TiL Rundown column, Katya Mavrelli investigates how China is extending its political and financial influence through investments.

Katya Mavrelli reported from the first event of the Bocconi student association Shipping, Energy and Geopolitics (SEG) taking place in the 2021-2022 academic year, in which experts discussed green energy and its political implications.

Chiara Agnoli ha scritto una lettera alle matricole in cui consiglia di non concentrarsi solo sui voti, i numeri e risultati ma di godersi il percorso.

L’associazione studentesca bocconiana Keiron ha pubblicato un articolo sull’applicazione del decreto legislativo 231, che ha introdotto una responsabilità dell’ente per i reati commessi al suo interno, sebbene essa sia qualificata come amministrativa, ai reati ambientali.

Federico Cimini interviewed John Paul Jose, an environmental activist from the Indian region of Kerala.

François Praum wrote about the recently reignited debates on “European Strategic Autonomy” and a “European Army”, questioning how we should define European autonomy and integrity.

Karolina Grabowska analyzed the fashion industry’s environmental impact, which came under the spotlight once again following the recent Paris Fashion Week environmental protests.

Prerit Gupta told the story of Freshworks, which recently became the first Indian software-as-a-service (SaaS) company to be listed on Nasdaq.

Carlo Maria Franchino ha scritto un articolo sull’evento Blockchain, NFT & Arte Digitale, prodotto per Tra i Leoni e Culturit con Luisa Ausenda, Giacomo Vella e Deodato Salafia come ospiti.

Bojan Zeric wrote an informative article on the park clean-ups around the Bocconi campus, organized by the Italian NGO Plastic Free and Bocconi student association Green Light 4 Business. He also interviewed Antonio Rancati, the General Secretary of Plastic Free.