Italian Governments Research Articles

Is the rule of law really a European concern? Mediatized rule of law conflicts and the contestation of the independence of the judiciary in France and Italy

ABSTRACT The rule of law is considered a foundational value of the EU, yet its validity and implementation remain heavily contested. The article investigates the Europeanisation of rule of law conflicts related to the independence of the Judiciary in Italy and France. Through a claims-making analysis of a representative sample of French and Italian legacy media and Facebook news coverage, the selective salience of the 2018–2023 conflicts over the independence of the judiciary in Poland and Hungary in relation to the application of EU sanctioning mechanisms can be established. Journalists reaffirm their traditional role as guardians of democracy, focusing on monitoring rule of law compliance and detecting violations. However, judicial independence remains primarily a domestic issue, with limited Europeanisation. Public contestation of the EU’s rule of law conflicts with Poland and Hungary is driven primarily by the populist right, not by centre and left parties or the French and Italian governments. There is thus a tendency to instrumentalise EU rule of law conflicts in order to reclaim sovereignty at the expense of debates on democratic control and the protection of the independence of the judiciary.

Does the mayor’s profile influence intellectual capital disclosure? Empirical evidence from Italian local governments

ABSTRACT This study investigates to what extent certain mayor’s personal traits affect the level of intellectual capital disclosure (ICD) provided by local governments (LGs). To this end, a disclosure index is developed, and a subsequent regression analysis is estimated on a sample of 141 large Italian LGs. The results indicate that Italian LGs led by female and left-wing mayors are more inclined to enhance their online transparency regarding intellectual capital (IC). In contrast, they demonstrate that the mayor’s age and level of education do not affect the level of ICD disseminated by LGs through their websites. This study provides different contributions to existing literature. Firstly, it extends prior IC research by offering contemporary evidence of how Italian LGs deal with IC transparency issues through their websites. Secondly, it contributes to LGs’ transparency literature, deeply delving into the role of the mayor’s characteristics in determining online ICD practices.

Financial Sustainability and Sustainable Development in Local Governments: Empirical Insights

This study investigated if and how financial sustainability affects the ability of local governments to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations. Two samples consisting of Italian and Spanish local governments were analyzed for the analysis. These municipalities were selected, as they provide many essential services largely linked with several SDGs. Findings show that local governments with better financial conditions devote more effort to achieving the SDGs connected with the biosphere, as well as social and economic development. Our results can stimulate politicians and managers to fight against tax evasion to increase their resources.

AN UNEXPECTED ALLIANCE: US POLICY REGARDING FORMATION OF THE CENTER-LEFT COALITION IN ITALY

The Cold War became a significant factor influencing not only the foreign, but also the domestic politics of Italy. The main problem of Italy as a member of NATO in the middle of the 20th century left pro-Soviet parties became popular, and the ruling Christian Democratic Party may lose power. The alliance of Christian Democrats with the Socialists became an unexpected means of solving the current problems, and the US, by supporting this alliance, demonstrated the ability to be flexible in conducting foreign policy towards its allies. The main thesis of the article is that such unexpected alliance between the Christian Democracy Party and the Socialist Party was not an improvised action, but a long-term strategy. The formation of the first center-left government in First Republic of Italy is referred to 1962. However, the idea of such alliance had emerged a few years before, in 1958, and it was discussed between Italian and American governments on numerous occasions. The main shift towards an adoption of coalition between Christian Democrats and Socialists was the failure of Fernando Tambroni’s government in 1960, the last government with the center-right and far-right parties at the power. From this moment for many, and for U.S. government as well, become evident the impossibility of sticking to the old strictly anti-left policy. The Socialist Party itself had gone through a long evolution process. Being a pro-Soviet party immediately after the WW2, it later cut off its ties to the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of Italy, and even rejected revolution as the way to reform society, preferring the long way of step-by-step changes. A new Socialist approach to the parliamentary democracy allowed it to become a part of ruling coalition soon after the inner reforms of the Socialist Party. It was hard to imagine in the beginning of the Cold War that the U.S. government would ever seek the support from the Socialist Party of Italy. But in the beginning of 1960’s, considering the changes in electoral preferences, the question of Italian Socialists become the focal point in the U.S. policy towards the Italy.

Skeptic, enthusiast, guarantor or believer? Public managers' perception of participatory budgeting

AbstractParticipatory budgeting (PB) aims to enhance citizens' participation in local government. While there is a significant body of literature on PB, few studies investigate the role of internal actors in its management. This study aims to understand public managers' perceptions of the whole PB process. Using the Q‐methodology on a sample of Italian local governments experienced in PB, we analyze the perspectives of public managers, revealing four approaches to PB, which we classify as skeptics, enthusiasts; guarantors; and believers. We find that managers have different approaches to how PB works and its potential effects, based on their role in managing the process. We also find that their attitude may influence citizens' participation in and perception of PB. Further research should consider the nexus between managers' perceptions and citizens' involvement in PB.

Equitable and sustainable well-being in Italian municipalities: Do women in politics make the difference?

This paper investigates whether the gender of elected politicians affects the performance of Italian local governments in providing equitable and sustainable well-being to citizens. In fact, Italy was the first country in the European Union to include citizens’ well-being objectives in economic planning. We use data on more than 6000 Italian municipalities for two years to investigate the relationship between gender representation at three bodies of local government with measures of socio-economic and environmental sustainability and find that larger representation of women in municipal leadership, executive and council bodies is significantly associated with improved municipal well-being. These results are also confirmed by accounting for endogenous issues, by adopting an extended definition of well-being and other robustness checks. Differences among northern and southern regions emerge with regard to the effects of incumbent female politicians. Other heterogeneous impacts are unclear or less marked.

Online sustainable development goals disclosure: A comparative study in Italian and Spanish local governments

AbstractIn this study, we performed a comparative analysis to examine the extent to which local governments (LGs) in two Mediterranean countries – Spain and Italy – use their websites to disclose information related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in response to the launch of the United Nations' (UN) 2030 Agenda. We performed a manual content analysis of the official websites of all Italian and Spanish LGs with more than 100,000 inhabitants, constructing different disclosure indexes. We then used a non‐parametric statistical test to assess differences in disclosure behaviours between countries. Our findings show that the extent to which the investigated LGs disclose SDG‐related information online remains limited. Based on Oliver's (1991) strategic responses framework, we postulate that Italian and Spanish LGs have responded to the launch of the SDGs by adopting compromise and avoidance strategies.

Readability versus obfuscation to fight corruption: evidence from Italian local governments

IMPACT This article explains why regulators should be guiding local governments (LGs) to use easy-to-understand language in their reports to truthfully communicate information about anti-corruption risks. Managers should avoid obfuscation of information that hides bad practices at LGs in terms of fighting corruption and pay closer attention to the readability of their text. This article will benefit policy-makers interested in overcoming previously neglected concerns for readability as a means of enhancing the effectiveness of the anti-corruption plans (ACPs) published by LGs.

Between saying and doing for ensuring energy resources supply: The case of Italy in time of crisis

In recent years, the number of countries affected by deep geopolitical crises has grown, with global economic effects and implications on energy. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has highlighted the energy security of supply problems that characterize the European Union, heavily dependent on imported fossil sources from Russia. Italy is still very dependent on foreign energy imports. In this framework, it is crucial to investigate how much issues related to energy security have been considered by Italian governments to protect country's economic interests. The aim of this paper is to analyze to what extent energy security issues have been addressed in Italian energy policies and what actions have been implemented, using a content analysis approach. We have analyzed the reports published by Italian energy authorities in the period 2000–2020. According to our findings, several actions have been undertaken to address security of supply in Italy. The country is trying to diversify its fossil fuel mix and suppliers, even if a higher coordination among policy intervention is required. Several indicators such as CO2 emissions and geographical origin of imports confirm the difficulty to substitute fossil fuels usage in economic activities. However, other indicators, such as renewable energy sources consumption and carbon intensity of industry consumption show a positive trend. The results obtained reveal useful insights into changing policy priorities in security of supply.

COVID-19 communication management in Europe: a comparative analysis of the effect of information-seeking in the public’s sense-making in Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom

PurposeGovernments around the world have shown poor capabilities in responding effectively to the COVID-19 health emergency outbreaks. After the declaration of COVID-19 as an international pandemic by the World Health Organization on January 31, 2020, three countries experienced the greatest initial impact in Europe. Sequentially Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom (UK) were hit by the highest numbers of contagion and death in the first few months in Europe. The aim of this paper is to assess how information channels and sources influenced the public’s evaluation of the three government’s communication response strategies.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted between March 14 and April 14, 2020, during the first wave of lockdowns and declarations of States of Emergency in the three countries.FindingsFindings show particularities for the different countries, but also similarities in response and reactions of the public in the three scenarios. The response strategy of the UK Government was the most untrusted and criticized by citizens. In contrast, the Italian and Spanish Governments, which both chose to respond with the severest restrictions, attracted more support from citizens, especially in Italy, which was the first to close borders and impose lockdowns for the population.Research limitations/implicationsDespite the national differences in the preference of information channels and sources, overall, an empirical relationship between government communication assessment and media use were found in all the scenarios.Practical implicationsThis empirical study has theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, findings will add evidence of implications of the Channel Complementary Theory to the field of risk, crisis and emergency communication. The results also provide insights for communication practitioners in the public sector on how forms of information and trust in sources influence the public’s assessment of authorities’ communication.Originality/valueImplications for theory and empirical research about communication during a health pandemic are identified and discussed.HighlightsCitizens engage at a high level and synchronize their use of multiple media and platforms in all the three national scenarios.Stronger criticism is provided by online media, especially social media and online press in the different national contexts.Results corroborate that factors related to media choice need to be operationalized for risk and crisis communication research.When public health depends on people understanding the actions they need to take, the possibility of disobedience is highly dependent on trust.Compared with Spain and the United Kingdom (UK), trust in government institutions in Italy was stronger and could be explained by the higher use of owned media for information-seeking.

Better to be direct? Evidence from the abolition of direct elections in Italian local governments

AbstractThis paper provides evidence for the importance of direct electoral processes by investigating the consequences for public spending of an unexpected reform that repealed direct elections for local (provincial) politicians in Italy. Direct elections were substituted with indirect ones, whereby directly elected municipal politicians choose a municipal mayor to serve as provincial president. Using a difference‐in‐differences strategy, I document two main consequences of the reform. First, municipalities connected to the provincial presidents tend to receive disproportionately more public funds after the reform, suggesting geographic favoritism increased. Second, the share of provincial resources spent on public goods drops in favor of bureaucratic costs. I discuss suggestive evidence that these results are driven by weaker electoral incentives rather than by the selection of worse politicians.

Putting Education Back at the Center: Some Reflections and Proposals on the Italian Situation

In this article, I address issues of inequality in Italy and, in particular, the role that education can play in fighting inequality. Moving beyond the nevertheless real problem of the scarcity of funds allocated by the Italian governments to education, I focus on the objectives that should inform spending criteria, thus emphasizing the importance of truly inclusive education, achievable through an ambitious path of comprehensive and incisive reforms. A country that does not excel in the civic sense and that for some scholars is even becoming less civilized, Italy should put education back at the center not only as a matter of social justice, but also to avert decline and improve the quality of its democratic coexistence.
 
 Received: 22 February 2023 / Accepted: 27 April 2023 / Published: 5 May 2023

On the eve of ecological transition? The failed institutionalization of sustainable development in Italy (1992–2020)

AbstractThe National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) adopted in 2021 by the Italian government is explicitly committed to push the country towards a ‘radical ecological transition’ and sustainable development. However, the institutionalization of the paradigm of sustainable development, in Italy, is a story of a failure. The aim of this contribution is to investigate the hows and whys that may help explaining the failed institutionalization of the paradigm. By combining an ideational approach with a political system perspective, our empirical investigation analyses the initiatives promoted by Italian national governments, by covering a time span of over 20 years (1992–2020). Thick historical description and process tracing are used to provide an in-depth reconstruction of the process. Our results show that adverse combinations of factors of a cognitive, institutional and political nature have hindered the adoption of substantive policy outcomes, thus leading the institutionalization of the paradigm along a disjointed path.

Tax evasion and tax amnesties in regional taxation

Italian governments have frequently chosen tax amnesties or concessions, with the twofold purpose of creating new budget resources and cancelling irredeemable debts. Such course of action constitutes a “shortcut” policy in terms of fighting tax evasion, which is a matter less popular among voters and more demanding in terms of efficiency and political continuity. This paper investigates the effects of the 2016–2019 tax concession, bringing empirical evidence based on the car tax paid to the Tuscany Region. The car tax is the main source of regional fiscal autonomy in Italy. In terms of revenue recovery, we found a net amount of only 1.6% of the unpaid taxes accrued. A difference-in-difference (DiD) analysis of the effects on compliance showed that those who took advantage of the tax amnesty in the past, when cheating again, were more likely to default on their tax debts, as compared to those who did not join the amnesty program. Therefore, our analysis provides original evidence of a very low budget recovery and confirms the results of literature according to which tax amnesties impact negatively on taxpayers’ behaviour.

Estimating the impact of ship strikes on the Mediterranean fin whale subpopulation

The Mediterranean fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) subpopulation is under threat from collisions with ships. Given the international dimension of the issue, the French, Italian, Monegasque and Spanish governments have proposed a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA), i.e., a management zone of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in which mandatory and voluntary protective measures can be implemented. Defining the risk and its impact at the subpopulation level is required to improve the chances of an IMO acceptance for such a proposal. While previous research partially succeeded in defining the collision risk, its impact on the subpopulation has not been thoroughly evaluated, especially at the spatial scale of the envisioned PSSA. Our study uses the carcass recovery approach to estimate the number of deadly collisions within the proposed PSSA. We then assess the probability that this number exceeds three management rules: Potential Biological Removal (PBR), Alert Reference Point (ARP) and Critical Reference Point (CRP). These management rules describe thresholds beyond which (a) the incidental mortality may prevent the recovery of the population within 100 years (PBR), (b) there is a cause for concern about incidental mortality (ARP), and (c) there is a critical need to lower the incidental mortality (CRP). We conclude that mortality from collisions alone is in excess of PBR. Taking into account confirmed and suspected collisions in strandings in calculations, the collision mortality exceeds ARP; this threshold being considered unacceptable by some international organisations. Additionally, there is almost a 35% chance that the mortality due to ship strikes exceeds the CRP, likely resulting in a population decline. The probability of anthropogenic mortality exceeding CRP is 60% if we include the fishery-related mortality in stranding (i.e., taking into account the total incidental mortality from bycatch and ship strikes). The PSSA proposal could use our approach to estimate the impact of collisions and assess the effectiveness of implemented protective measures. However, it is important to highlight that the IMO process for establishing a PSSA is lengthy, and our findings show that immediate action is required, as there is a high probability that the ship strike and fishery mortality is beyond the critical threshold fixed by the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS).

Sustainable development goals in public administrations: Enabling conditions in local governments

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a challenge that many public administrations face in promoting sustainable growth. Local governments, as the governmental tier closest to citizens, should deliberate upon strategies and actions attuned to achieving SDGs for the benefit of their communities. Through a comparative analysis of Italian and Spanish local governments, this research investigates the conditions that can support the achievement of SDGs. The results depict the political and financial levers that can stimulate politicians and policymakers in designing appropriate strategies and action plans towards the achievement of SDGs, while opening the path for further research that can support public administrations in their efforts at achieving sustainable growth. Points for practitioners Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are believed to play a vital role in our society. They represent the background of strategies and policies implemented at a local government level; accordingly, politicians and public managers are key actors in achieving SDGs. Our study shows that local governments tend to implement sustainable policies despite the political ideology; results also illustrate that governing in large coalitions could be a hindrance to implementing sustainable policies. Furthermore, favourable financial conditions support the achievement of SDGs.

ІТАЛІЙСЬКИЙ ВЕКТОР ПОЛІТИКИ США У ПЕРІОД ПРЕЗИДЕНТСТВА ДЖОНА КЕННЕДІ

The article is devoted to the changes in the US foreign policy towards Italy during the presidency of John Kennedy (1961-1963). The study examines two main aspects of American-Italian relations of the specified period: the formation of Italian governments based on a center-left coalition, as well as relations in the energy sphere. Particular attention is paid to the personification of foreign policy and the use of American-Italian communication channels outside the US Embassy in Rome. The purpose of the article is a comprehensive study of the Italian policy of the United States during the presidency of John Kennedy. From a methodological point of view, the research is based on historical-genetic, descriptive methods, critical analysis of sources, as well as methods of researching the history of international relations. This made it possible to highlight the Italian vector of the US foreign policy and place it in the general context of the international policy of the Cold War era. The scientific novelty of the study consists of the systematization of the US foreign policy towards Italy in the European context with the involvement of sources and literature that were not previously used in domestic historiography. Conclusions. US foreign policy towards Italy during the presidency of J. Kennedy focused on the problem of ensuring the political stability of Italian governments, as well as the country’s Euro-Atlantic course. The defining characteristic of this policy was the emphasis on supporting the democratic foundations of Italy’s domestic policy, ensuring the electoral support of the Italian population, as well as support from the Catholic Church. The new vision proposed by the US president made it possible to carry out a timely renewal of Italian politics, as well as to propose a new political model for other Western European countries. The culmination of J. Kennedy’s Italian policy was a visit to Rome and the Vatican as part of a European tour in 1963, which provided public support for his policy and contributed to improving the image of the USA in Europe. Thus, J. Kennedy’s Italian policy was in the context of his pan-European policy and correlated with the problem of European unity within the EEC and NATO.

US efforts to evacuate its citizens from Europe During World War II 1939-1944 (documentary study

With the emergence of signs of the outbreak of World War II, the United States of America began a policy to warn its citizens against the expansion of that war throughout Europe, especially in Britain and France, the two countries in which American nationals are most present, as well as being the two countries most exposed to war by Germany, so the US government was At first, a warning policy, but with the development of events in 1939, it issued the March statement, which included the conditions for evacuating nationals from European countries months before the outbreak of the war, and stipulated the terms of transportation from European countries to the United States of America. The United States was distinguished in its evacuation policy, after issuing a statement Issuing the March 1939 statement, US President Roosevelt took an appeal to Germany and Italy via oral messages through conferences he held in his country with the aim of conveying his country’s voice to the warring countries to end that war before it expanded. From Europe, and in fact, the years 1939-1941 witnessed extensive measures to facilitate the transfer of nationals With the entry of the United States into the war on the side of the Allies, it adopted a strict policy towards Germany and Italy, which refused to facilitate the task of transferring their nationals from the occupied lands and detained them. Therefore, the American government rushed to block the German and Italian nationals present on its lands until the task of transferring its nationals was facilitated by the German and Italian governments.
 The Swiss government made these cases follow up on behalf of the US government, which withdrew its ambassadors from Europe because of the war, and as soon as the war ended, the United States had transferred most of its citizens except for those who refused to return to the country.

THE ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS TO SECURE A FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO ALBANIA FROM THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS (1921–1922)

This paper presents the economic and financial situation in Albania during 1921– 1922, the difficulties faced by the Albanian government overcoming issues related to this and the efforts made to fulfill the Albanian government’s request to the League of Nations for an appointment of an outside financial advisor. It will also present the circumstances around the possibility being raised once again for the League to appoint a British financial. It addresses the motivations behind the Albanian government turning to the League of Nations for support, and the reasons why it could not seek help in this matter from Italy or the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovens (SCS). This paper also reflects on the potential candidates discussed at the League of Nations and considers the discussions that took place regarding the procedures, competencies and criteria for selecting candidates for this task. The position held by the British and Italian governments regarding Albania’s request for assistance and the arguments on which their political lines were based. The paper considers in detail the position held by the British Foreign Office regarding the candidates submitted for this position in Albania.

When Peppa Pig and Confucius meet, joining forces on the battlefield of health literacy-a qualitative analysis of COVID-19 educational materials for children and adolescents from China, the USA, and Europe.

In times of pandemic, health literacy (HL) is very important, as it helps to find, understand, and use essential health information and services. According to WHO, HL is pivotal in fighting infodemic effectively, and education is a vital tool for developing it. In the presented work, we analyze 247 educational materials dedicated to children, adolescents, and their carers explaining the pandemic, prepared by the Chinese, American, German, Italian and Polish governments and international non-governmental organizations. Focusing on the textual and visual side of the documents, we investigated how the pandemic is explained and what discursive measures were used to inform young citizens about the risks and consequences of pandemic restrictions. Additionally, we verified whether the materials helped developing critical thinking, which is crucial to prevent spreading fake news and conspiracy theories. Although the analyzed materials were prepared in different cultural contexts, we identified that all of them contained simple instructions on the desired behaviours during the pandemic. Key messages relating to the importance of hygienic behaviors were often supplemented with guidelines on how to successfully complete each action. While the cultural particularities in presenting the state of the pandemic are visible, the challenges of dealing with the emotional and social crises were dominant all around the world. In our study, we argue that the possibilities of building HL were not fully exploited by the national and international institutions. Citizens were taught how to behave in unusual circumstances but not why they should behave differently. The educational materials lacked reliable knowledge that would allow them to deal with infodemic and develop critical thinking. We conclude that health education expertise worldwide should be focused on enhancing individuals' ability to make informed health decisions and provide three recommendations regarding the process of development of health educational resources for children and the youth.