IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/cnpexx/v21y2016i2p167-186.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Derivatives and the financialisation of the Italian state

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea Lagna

Abstract

The existing literature on financialisation has devoted insufficient attention to how governments wield the market-based practices and technologies of financial innovation to pursue statecraft objectives. Because of this inattention, scholars have missed the opportunity to examine a crucial facet of the financialisation of the state. To remedy this limitation, the present article investigates how and why the Italian government designed derivatives-based strategies during the 1993–9 period. It argues that these tactics gained momentum in the context of the political struggles that developed in Italy beginning in the late 1980s. In particular, the study shows how a neoliberal-reformist alliance came to power and used financial innovation to comply with the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) admission criteria. EMU dynamics enhanced the power position of the neoliberal-reformist coalition vis-à-vis the country's traditional political and business establishment. This work offers insights that go beyond the specificities of the Italian case. It encourages further research on how governments in other countries simultaneously exposed state institutions to financial speculation and gained access to a range of new instruments through which they could manage state affairs in a financialised manner.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Lagna, 2016. "Derivatives and the financialisation of the Italian state," New Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(2), pages 167-186, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:cnpexx:v:21:y:2016:i:2:p:167-186
    DOI: 10.1080/13563467.2015.1079168
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/13563467.2015.1079168
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/13563467.2015.1079168?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alesina, Alberto F & Prati, Alessandro & Tabellini, Guido, 1989. "Public Confidence and Debt Management: A Model and a Case Study of Italy," CEPR Discussion Papers 351, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Pierluigi Ciocca, 2005. "The Italian Financial System Remodelled," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-0-230-00592-1.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ewa Karwowski & Marcos Centurion-Vicencio, 2018. "Financialising the state : recent developments in fiscal and monetary policy," Working Papers halshs-01713028, HAL.
    2. Spies-Butcher, Ben & Bryant, Gareth, 2024. "The history and future of the tax state: Possibilities for a new fiscal politics beyond neoliberalism," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    3. Zhenfa Li & Fulong Wu & Fangzhu Zhang, 2023. "Adaptable state-controlled market actors: Underwriters and investors in the market of local government bonds in China," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 55(8), pages 2088-2107, November.
    4. Carolina Alves, 2023. "Fictitious capital, the credit system, and the particular case of government bonds in Marx," New Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 398-415, May.
    5. Golka, Philipp, 2024. "Assets and infrastructures," SocArXiv rbqm9, Center for Open Science.
    6. Giannini, Bianca & Oldani, Chiara, 2022. "Asymmetries in the sustainability of public debt in the EU: The use of swaps," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 26(C).
    7. Ilias Alami, 2019. "Taming Foreign Exchange Derivatives Markets? Speculative Finance and Class Relations in Brazil," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 50(5), pages 1310-1341, September.
    8. N/A, 2020. "Book symposium: Pike et al.’s Financialising City Statecraft and Infrastructure," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 52(4), pages 790-813, June.
    9. Gareth Bryant & Ben Spies-Butcher, 2020. "Bringing finance inside the state: How income-contingent loans blur the boundaries between debt and tax," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 52(1), pages 111-129, February.
    10. Ben Fine, 2022. "Commentary on Financialisation Theme Issue Papers ," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 54(1), pages 199-203, February.
    11. Emanuele Belotti & Sonia Arbaci, 2021. "From right to good, and to asset: The state-led financialisation of the social rented housing in Italy," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 39(2), pages 414-433, March.
    12. Laura Deruytter & David Bassens, 2021. "The Extended Local State under Financialized Capitalism: Institutional Bricolage and the Use of Intermunicipal Companies to Manage Financial Pressure," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(2), pages 232-248, March.
    13. Armin Mertens & Christine Trampusch & Florian Fastenrath & Rebecca Wangemann, 2021. "The political economy of local government financialization and the role of policy diffusion," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(2), pages 370-387, April.
    14. Hugh Whittaker, 2017. "Premature financialization: a conceptual exploration," Working Papers halshs-01680406, HAL.
    15. Cardinale, Roberto & Belotti, Emanuele, 2022. "The rise of the shareholding state in Italy: A policy-oriented strategist or simply a shareholder? Evidence from the energy and banking sectors’ privatizations," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 52-60.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Harold L. Cole & Timothy J. Kehoe, 1996. "A self-fulfilling model of Mexico's 1994-95 debt crisis," Staff Report 210, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
    2. Cyrille Lenoël & Corrado Macchiarelli & Garry Young, 2022. "Greece 2010-18: What could we have done differently?," GreeSE – Hellenic Observatory Papers on Greece and Southeast Europe 172, Hellenic Observatory, LSE.
    3. repec:cte:whrepe:wh030602 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Alfaro, Laura & Kanczuk, Fabio, 2006. "Sovereign Debt: Indexation and Maturity," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 1578, Inter-American Development Bank.
    5. Niepelt, Dirk, 2014. "Debt maturity without commitment," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(S), pages 37-54.
    6. Laura Alfaro & Fabio Kanczuk, 2006. "Deuda soberana: indexación y vencimiento," Research Department Publications 4460, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    7. Corsetti, Giancarlo & Maeng, Seung Hyun, 2020. "Debt Crises, Fast and Slow," CEPR Discussion Papers 14868, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    8. Drudi, Francesco & Prati, Alessandro, 2000. "Signaling fiscal regime sustainability," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(10), pages 1897-1930, December.
    9. Laura Alfaro & Fabio Kanczuk, 2009. "Debt Maturity: Is Long‐Term Debt Optimal?," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(5), pages 890-905, November.
    10. Harold L. Cole & Timothy J. Kehoe, 2000. "Self-Fulfilling Debt Crises," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 67(1), pages 91-116.
    11. Woldu, Gabriel Temesgen & Szakálné Kanó, Izabella, 2023. "Macroeconomic effects of fiscal consolidation on economic activity in SSA countries," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 28(C).
    12. Johannes Holler, 2013. "Funding Strategies of Sovereign Debt Management: A Risk Focus," Monetary Policy & the Economy, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue 2, pages 51-74.
    13. Silvana Bartoletto & Bruno Chiarini & Elisabetta Marzano, 2012. "The Sustainability of Fiscal Policy in Italy: A Long-Term Perspective," CESifo Working Paper Series 3812, CESifo.
    14. Robert Barro, 2003. "Optimal Management of Indexed and Nominal Debt," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 4(1), pages 1-15, May.
    15. Luigi Bocola & Alessandro Dovis, 2019. "Self-Fulfilling Debt Crises: A Quantitative Analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 109(12), pages 4343-4377, December.
    16. Mr. Amadou N Sy & Mr. Andrea Pescatori, 2004. "Debt Crises and the Development of International Capital Markets," IMF Working Papers 2004/044, International Monetary Fund.
    17. Andrea Pescatori & Amadou N R Sy, 2007. "Are Debt Crises Adequately Defined?," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 54(2), pages 306-337, June.
    18. Daniele Checchi, 1992. "What are the Real Effects of Liberalizing International Capital Movements?," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 83-125, February.
    19. Missale, Alessandro & Blanchard, Olivier Jean, 1994. "The Debt Burden and Debt Maturity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(1), pages 309-319, March.
    20. Giancarlo Corsetti, 2023. "Debt crises, fast and slow Giancarlo," RSCAS Working Papers 2023/15, European University Institute.
    21. Hernández Trillo, Fausto & Villagómez Amezcua, Alejandro, 2000. "La estructura de la deuda pública en México: Lecciones y perspectivas," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 2108, Inter-American Development Bank.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:cnpexx:v:21:y:2016:i:2:p:167-186. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/cnpe20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.