If you look at the Italian vaccination curve, you will notice some jumps.

And anyone who gets to the bottom of the puzzle quickly ends up in the government of the former ECB President Mario Draghi.

Whenever she makes another decision about the so-called Green Pass, many Italians, for their part, take it easy and sign up for immunization.

"Green Pass" is the name of the certificate in Italy which proves vaccination with at least one dose against the coronavirus, a survived Covid 19 disease or a negative test.

Matthias Rüb

Political correspondent for Italy, the Vatican, Albania and Malta based in Rome.

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The “green passport” - in the form of a QR code on the mobile phone and as proof on paper - was introduced this spring to facilitate travel within the EU during the summer holidays.

It has largely fulfilled this first purpose in Italy.

By the end of August, a good twenty percent more holidaymakers were registered than in the first “pandemic summer” in 2020, admittedly still 34 percent fewer than in the extremely successful year 2019 Only those who have been vaccinated, recovered or tested may enter the facility.

In the meantime, the compulsory green pass in Italy has been extended in several steps to ever larger areas of social and economic life.

Heavy fines

Since August, the Green Pass has been used as access authorization to museums and concert halls, to trade fairs and events, to fitness studios or the interiors of restaurants. Since the beginning of September, the Green Pass must also be presented in intercity buses, trains and ships. There are repeated protests across the country against the pandemic-related restrictions in public life. However, the number of participants in the demonstrations is limited. The effect of the tightened green pass requirement on the population's willingness to vaccinate, which is desired by the government, can be seen all the more clearly. Immediately after the respective measures have been announced or shortly before they come into force, there are more reservations for vaccination appointments and also a greater rush at the vaccination centers,where the vaccine will be given without prior notification.

Last week, the cabinet decided that the corona certificate requirement will also apply to the entire working life from mid-October. Workers and employees in public companies and administrations as well as in private companies must have the Green Pass when they go to their workplace. This affects 23 million employees, of which around four million have so far been unvaccinated. Violations and refusals are severely punished: Anyone who comes to work without a Green Pass or who, as an employer, neglects their duty of inspection, must expect high fines.