During a ceremony at the Quirinale, Italian President Sergio Mattarella welcomed 25 new knights and 25 new apprentices, urging youth to embrace their future amid an imbalanced labor market. He highlighted that young Italians face a 13% employment gap compared to their European counterparts. Mattarella noted Italy is experiencing economic growth post-pandemic and after financial crises, with the national GDP rising faster than that of France and Germany. He emphasized that Italy’s strong export performance and a favorable net foreign position reflect resilience and should be acknowledged by rating agencies.