And, as the Bank of Italy's governor, Mario Draghi, has noted, Italian entrepreneurs have to cope with an unusually high level of organised crime.

Next, Mr Pepy is preparing for 2010, when airlines and private train-operators such as Italy's new NTV group will be allowed onto Europe's high-speed rail network.

Rudi von Meister is General Manager of China operations for IVECO, the truck group of FIAT.