The fourth regional Censis report has indicated that Tuscans have been quick in addressing the challenges of the global economy. Statistics show that from 2000 to 2006, 80 percent of new businesses launched involved high technology applications. The entrepreneurial spirit seems strong in the immigrant community: the number foreigners who have opened companies has more than doubled in the last five years.
On the other hand, Tuscans displayed more anxiety with respect to foreign immigration. The report indicated that regional residents seem to perceive foreigners more as a threat than as a resource for the economy and the society at large. Foreigners are seen positively by only 43.5 percent of Tuscans.
Regarding politics, 38 percent of Tuscans believe that government officials and policies can have a real effect on their everyday lives, compared to 13 percent of national respondents. ‘It is a region that understood the challenges of today’s reality’, commented the director of Censis, Giuseppe Roma.
