On Monday, ISTAT published a report on Italy's economic situation, focusing in particular on trends in GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and public debt. The picture that emerges is ambivalent: positive as far as public finance balances and thus the State budget are concerned, much less encouraging as for economic growth. In 2024, Italian GDP grew by 0.7%, 3 tenths less than the forecast made by the government last September. The change also makes one less optimistic about 2025. In the face of this slowdown in the economy, however, the deficit also decreases more sharply than expected: the government had agreed with the European Commission on a deficit of 3.8% in 2024, down sharply from 2023 (when it had been 7.2%): instead, the reduction was even more remarkable, according to ISTAT, which calculated a deficit of 3.4%.