There has been much talk about the financial acquisitions of big groups taking over small or medium size (at times big) companies. It’s what’s happening these days with the food industry and the French trying to take over a large Italian milk company. A few weeks ago we heard that LVMH is taking over the Italian brand BVLGARI, luxury and jewelry. The latest news say that is 4,054% detained directly as LVMH and another 6,481% controlled by Hannibal SA (owned by LVMH).
The market is a free jungle, the stronger you are the more you will prevail, as it happens in nature, the financial world has proposed a scheme governed by power. Once upon a time, in the caverns, human beings fought their strength by killing each other. During the course of our evolution we learned how to tame our animal instincts thanks to philosophy, literature, thought, civilization maintained a value system able to contain physical reactions and let the intellect dominate. Apparently this is not enough to tame the voraciousness of some. Today on the market, the strongest financial subjects can absorb smaller and weaker realities. This is not always for the worst. There have been some cases in which, thanks to multinationals, certain companies or brands about to disappear made a come back. 

What I foresee as an Italian is the aggressiveness of multinationals and how this will affect the small businesses, the preciousness and craftsmanship that are disappearing under the ferocious pillage of profiteers and sustainable margins. As an Italian, I like to think that there is still room in this world for diversity against the rootless decisions in finance.  

If on one hand it’s good to let down the guard in a globalized world (read Financial Times), I want to think that the same globalized world can still enjoy local beauties, arts, traditions, production in place since the back of time. 

Giuliano Federico 

(editor in chief) 

Illustration: Big Fish Eat Little Fish, 1557 (Pieter van der Heyden after Pieter Bruegel the Elder – Netherlandish)