5 research outputs found
Decentralization in Italy and the troubles of federalization
Since the mid-1990s, Italy has made significant steps towards federalism,
decentralizing political, fiscal and administrative powers, also by means of a major
constitutional reform. Yet, 20 years after the beginning of this process, the country is
experiencing problems in finalizing these reforms towards a stable federal architecture. This
article examines Italy as a case of failed federalization. Adopting a long-term focus inspired
by the \u2018gradual institutional change\u2019 approach, we argue that federalization has been trapped
between a rather anomalous (and pathological) alliance between a persistent centralism,
which prevailed when Italy was born as a state in 1861, and an ever-present strong tradition
of localism. This approach allows us to show the very incremental nature of institutional
change and to map changes and continuities along the 150 years of the Italian state,
identifying both political and cultural factors that help to explain this unfulfilled journey
towards federalism