Italy's economic and political elite oldest in Europe Average age in powerful positions 59

(ANSA) - Rome, May 17 - Italy's managerial and political class is the oldest in Europe, a report by farmers' association Coldiretti said on Thursday.The overall average age of those in positions of power in Italy is 59, according to the report.Among the oldest managers are those in the banking world with an average age of 67, followed by politicians with the average age of 64, while top managers in listed companies tend to be slightly younger, averaging 57.In the academic world, a professor's average age is 63. In the world of politics, Italy's Premier Mario Monti is 69 years old, while the youngest ministers, Renato Balduzzi and Filippo Patroni Griffi, are both 57.In comparison, David Cameron took office in Britain when he was 43, Tony Blair at 44, John Major was 47 and Gordon Brown just over 50.Coldiretti President Sergio Marini commented that the government's "ideas for tackling the economic crisis are (also) old and too few".Italian politicians are "trying to reproduce development models based on financial and economic policies that have already failed," said Marini.At the same time, Italy's youth unemployment continues to soar, reaching 35.9% in March, up 2% since February, according to a report from the national statistics agency ISTAT earlier this month.Monti and his emergency government have vowed to promote labour market changes to make it easier for women and young people to find jobs.photo: Coldiretti President Sergio Marini