Italy’s mafias will exert uneven influence on business

Subject

The impact of mafias on business in Italy.

Significance

The impact of organised crime on economic activity in Italy is hard to overstate. Besides having a structured presence in the southern regions of Campania, Calabria, Apulia and Sicily, mafias in recent decades have been moving into the rich northern regions of Lombardy, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna. In Rome, investigations have uncovered a vast web of corruption labelled ‘Mafia Capitale’. Yet mafias’ impact on business is far from homogeneous and varies widely across business sectors and regions.

Impacts

• Mafias’ impact is most visible in specific business sectors, primarily logistics, construction and public projects.
• Media coverage contributes to the pervasive image of mafias in the Italian business environment.
• Investigations uncovering a mafia presence in public events may affect decisions about whether to pursue similar projects in the future.