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

This volume examines the relationship between central government and local institutions, taking Italy as a case study to present a comparative perspective on how the Italian experience has influenced the global developments of federal and regional states. As the country with the longest standing regional system, Italy has a lot to tell countries that are dealing with similar issues in present times. Adopting a theoretical/analytical approach coupled with comparative analysis, this volume critically reflects on the changes brought to the Italian system of government by the reform of Title V of the Italian constitution, the reasons why further decentralisation has been resisted and offers a comparative overview of the place and contributions that the Italian experience has brought to the global debate on regionalism and federalism. The book is divided into two parts: Part I distils the essence of the evolution of Italian regionalism and the respective debate before and after 2001. While focusing on Italy, the various chapters situate it within the global framework of discussion. Part II reflects on how the Italian regional constitutional architecture contributes to the global debate, particularly focusing on the main innovations brought about by constitutional reform. The book will be essential reading for researchers, academics and policy-makers working in the areas of constitutional law and politics, and federalism. Chapters 5 and 8 of this book are freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781003104469

The object of this book is to describe the institutional modifications of the Italian form of state more than ten years after the review of Title V – Part II of the Italian Constitution – for an audience that goes well beyond the Italian national boundaries. The fifteen essays that make up the book discuss the birth and evolution of the Italian regionalism (including those regions with Special Statutes) as well as reforms of 1999-2001. A particular attention is devoted to the role of autonomy in defining regional statutes, regional forms of government, and regulatory and administrative powers. These are subjects on which there is by now an abundant body of constitutional case law, which is extensively referred to by the chapters. The role of the regions vis-à-vis the local bodies and vis-à-vis the European and international order is also discussed, as the right to negotiate with foreign powers has now been conferred on the regions. Lastly, the volume presents contributions on regional finance and on the new law on fiscal federalism, as well as on regional powers in the area of health and welfare.

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.

The debate on Italian regionalism has received renewed impetus from the disintegration of the First Republic and the emergence of the Northern League. In this important study, leading scholars of Italian history, politics, sociology and linguistics examine the nature of Italian regionalism since the formation of the modern Italian nation state. This is the first English-language book to explore the Italian concept of regionalism in all its ramifications.Topics include: the nature and problems of Italian regionalism in context; the historical background of the period up to 1945; critical overviews of regionalism since the establishment of the Republic; the relationship between dialect, language and Italian regionalism; and an examination of the origins of the Northern Leagues, their growing power, and their contribution to the crisis of the Republic. Contributors: Adrian Lyttelton, John Davis, Anna Laura Lepschy, Giulio Lepschy, Martin Clark, Percy Allum, Ilvo Diamanti, Joseph Farrell, David Hine, Anna Cento Bull, Miriam Voghera