Italian Regionalism and the Federal Challenge

This monograph thoroughly illustrates the debate on federalism and regionalism as it emerged in Italy in the years preceding the unification of 1861 and then again in the early 1990s, a debate mainly centred on the deep socio-economic differences between the North and the South of the country. Torn between centripetal and centrifugal forces, the Italian regional model implemented with the 1948 constitution and strengthened in 2001 provokes questions that intersect with topical debates engaging scholars globally, potentially stimulating comparative discussions. While the future of Italian regionalism remains unclear, the Italian regional model combines lessons coming from different theoretical experiences, including federalism, sub-state nationalism, and the European unification process, representing a novel experiment fashioned by those who were looking for a compromise between unitary and federal schemes.

Analyses the distinctive traits of the Italian regional model and its historical evolution Claims that economic regionalism may contribute to explaining the unique features of the Italian regional system Highlights the beneficial effects of the recognition of asymmetrical interests

Autorentext

Erika Arban is Senior Research Associate in the Laureate Program in Comparative Constitutional Law at Melbourne Law School, Australia.

Inhalt
Federalism, regionalism, sub-state nationalism: some theoretical insights.- Italian regionalism. From Risorgimento to the 2001 constitutional reform.- Italian regionalism. The 2001 constitutional reform and beyond.- Theorising economic regionalism.- Reconciling economic regionalism and solidarity.- Conclusion. Federalism, (economic) regionalism, solidarity.