The Observatory is pleased to announce the publication of the chapter “The ‘Southern Question’, Economic Development and Public Intervention” by Laura Polverari and Cristina Zerbinati, in Perspectives and Futures of Public Administration in Italy – Governance and Public Management (Palgrave Macmillan).
This book is one of three volumes that collectively examine the evolution, characteristics and future trajectories of the Italian administrative system from interdisciplinary and comparative perspectives. This book in particular addresses key philosophical and theoretical dimensions of public administration in Italy, as well as foundational issues such as the relationship between public administration and the liberal-democratic constitutional framework, the sources of administrative action legitimacy, and the epistemological and methodological approaches that underpin the study and practice of public administration.

In this context, Polverari and Zerbinati revisit the enduring relevance of the ‘Southern Question’ in Italy by analysing the relationship between territorial disparities, economic development, and public intervention. The chapter provides a critical reflection on the historical and contemporary dimensions of regional development policies and their implications for public governance, offering valuable insights into one of the most significant and persistent challenges facing the Italian state. It examines the ongoing development disparity between Southern Italy and the rest of the country, contending that administrative capacity and institutional quality are pivotal in explaining the limited efficacy of regional development policies. Despite substantial public resources being devoted to supporting the Mezzogiorno for several decades, significant disparities in economic performance, employment, and public service provision persist.

This chapter provides a detailed analysis of the administrative capacity-building measures implemented in Italy during the 2014–2020 and 2021–2027 EU programming periods. These measures included interventions that were financed through EU Cohesion Policy and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). While acknowledging the significant efforts undertaken in recent years to strengthen public administrations, the authors highlight several structural constraints that have hindered their effectiveness. These include fragmented interventions, insufficient political commitment, staffing shortages, the long-term effects of austerity measures and the challenge of translating capacity-building initiatives into lasting institutional change.

The authors caution that these objectives cannot be achieved through EU-funded programmes alone. Instead, they argue that a broader and more sustained commitment to the structural renewal of the Italian public administration is required, encompassing investments in human resources, organisational reform, digital transformation, and policy evaluation.

The book can be downloaded from the publisher’s website, here.