On 6 November, the event “Public Policy and Public Administrations in Challenging Times in the EU and Beyond” took place in Aula M at Palazzo Wollemborg. The conference, moderated by Prof. Paolo Graziano (University of Padua), brought together scholars from different universities to discuss the challenges facing democracy and public administration in Europe and beyond.

During his presentation, Dr. Sean Kippin (University of Stirling) analyzed the experience of democratic backsliding in the United Kingdom under the Conservative Government (2019–2024). He identified three main strategies of illiberal governance: “forging” (culturally conservative policies such as the “war on woke”), “bending” (changes to electoral rules, restrictions on protests, and increased control over the Electoral Commission), and “breaking” (violations of constitutional norms, including the Rwanda Scheme and the prorogation of Parliament). The analysis highlighted a measurable decline in the UK’s democratic performance and emphasized the vulnerability of the Westminster majoritarian system, which lacks strong constitutional safeguards compared to federal systems such as Germany’s.

Prof. Emanuele Massetti (University of Trento) focused on democracy and the Rule of Law in the European Union, arguing that democratic backsliding in Europe cannot be explained solely by the erosion of liberal institutions. He emphasized the weakening of the democratic pillar, highlighting how political parties have become increasingly disconnected from citizens as a result of neoliberal globalization, party cartelization, and the narrowing of policy choices, which has progressively emptied popular sovereignty of its substantive content.

Prof. Giorgia Nesti (University of Padua) discussed research on the administrative capacities of Italian job centers and social care districts involved in the implementation of the Reddito di cittadinanza minimum income scheme. Using a three-dimensional framework (programming and management, coordination, and analysis), the study found stronger performance in resources and analytical capacity, while coordination emerged as the weakest dimension due to fragmented IT systems and limited inter-agency collaboration.

Finally, Prof. Laura Polverari (University of Padua) presented ongoing research on Italian municipalities in populist times, focusing on administrative reforms linked to NRRP/EU funding. Preliminary findings suggest that political orientation is not a decisive factor, as municipalities across the political spectrum sought to maximize capacity-building opportunities. Only in the case of Ancona did a shift to populist leadership lead to visible organizational change, with no evidence of systematic politicization of local bureaucracies at the national level.

Prof. Ekaterina Domorenok (University of Padua) concluded the discussion by offering comments and reflections as discussant.