Inside the €18 billion Italian job

Italy is profoundly caught up in the eurozone crisis, but unlike its peripheral peers, which remain hostage to the international bond markets, the country is able partly to fund its colossal public debt by drawing on formidable and passionate support at home. Could its eurozone peers do the same?

Most of the records that have been broken in the eurozone during the past few years make for depressing reading, but one that was well and truly smashed by the Republic of Italy in October at least provided the Italians with some cheer.

On October 18 the Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze completed its new programme for 2012 of issuing four-year inflation-linked bonds – Buono del Tesoro Poliennali Italia (BTPi) – in style by selling the single-biggest bond ever.

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