Alberto Alesina, his wife Susan: « Your ideas inspire generations of economists, you would be grieved by the current international climate »

Dear Alberto,
I still hard to believe that today five years from your disappearance, who survived on May 23, 2020. Losing you so suddenly, while we were both engaged in a serene excursion near Boston, it was a very hard blow for me. You were one of the brightest and most adventurous men, and among the most endowed with intellectual curiosity, which I have ever known. I preserve the memory of the twenty -two years spent together, to ski off the track on fresh snow, to taste the oysters in our favorite restaurant of Back Bay, to climb the most picturesque paths of the Alps, discussing our work of our future projects. It was you who encouraged me to live with passion. And today, without you, I continue to draw strength from your « affectionate stresses »which push me to venture into nature outside my safety area, as well as to rethink my professional career.

The very high expectations that nourished towards yourself have established a model for me that I strive to emulate. Still, the reality is this: you left an immense wound in my heart, which only now begins slowly to heal. The spiritual legacy you have transmitted does not belong exclusively to me, but also to all your friends and colleagues. Both the University of Harvard and Bocconi University continue to honor your contribution in the field of political economy, institutions that have represented a launching pad for your intellectual development. And you, for your part, have spent you entirely as a university professor and principal of the Faculty of Economics in Harvard, also spending your sabbatical years at Bocconi, to collaborate with colleagues and urge future scholars and researchers. It fills me with joy to know that a scholarship at Bocconi has been established in your honor for young economists, Alberto Alesina Young Economist Scholarshipwhich is conferred every year to a student worthy of this sector.

I know you would be proud to learn that your ancient students are making their way in the academic field, as well as in the governments and bodies of the private sector. I carry on our annual tradition of inviting an « aperitif » to our home students of Italian economics who study in Boston. It is now an important part of my life to keep in touch with our students, graduates and doctorals. I draw immense pleasure in becoming aware of their successes And in offering them my advice, from time to time.

I guess you would be supremely grieved by the current political climate. It is a serious loss for the whole world no longer being able to count on your analyzes and intuitions in the debate that has turned on in international economic and fiscal policy. Despite everything, the work you built in your albeit short academic life continues to be considered relevant and influentialboth at the Nber (National Bureau of Economic Research) and in the wider economic area. Your ideas are continually mentioned in the most prestigious publications, in the large media and by the legislators. They also continue to inspire the younger generations of economists engaged in new research fields.

While I still try to look for a balance in dealing with this change suddenly overwhelmed in my life, I express my gratitude towards friends who support me and encourage me to take an interest in new and stimulating activities. While looking to the future with optimism and positivity, I confess that I miss you, every day that passes. You left an indelible mark in me as in many others and, believe me, you will not be forgotten.
With the love of all time,
Susan