Logical reasoning

In the present economic and political crisis the debate on federalism sparks off again at national and Community level. Countries such as Italy, Spain, Greece, Cyprus (along with Eastern Europe and Scandinavia) have recently been discussing, both in the parliaments and on television, a series of fundamental internal legislation reforms on themes such as fiscal federalism, the autonomy of local bodies, the regionalisation of health and education and multilevel governance. Although proposals and finalizations differ – and will need to be adjusted case by case – political and administrative decentralization is the common denominator.Relying on… the weakness characterizing the centrality model – which capitulated especially as relates to economic and financial issues – the many and varied promoters of federalism and regionalism see their claims gain momentum and enjoy the support and the attention that had been lacking over the past decade. When truly put into practice, and provided the appropriate financial resources, the devolution of authority to Municipalities and Regions has produced and has continued yielding positive results in the field of education, financial systems, infrastructures, and in the fruition of leisure-time, to the satisfaction of citizens living in urban areas and of those in the peripheries.The same could be said of the European Federalist movement, which was not hindered – as expected – by the near failure of the EU Constitution project. The outcome of the recent elections in the U.K. and in The Netherlands, which brought unprecedented gain to the traditional Liberal pro-Regionalist Parties, cannot be overlooked. Nor can it be ignored that the proposed revision of the cohesion policy that is being drawn up by the European Commission is marked by a Federalist connotation. If on the one side the Structural Funds for regional and rural development are bound to decrease starting in 2013, on the other, the role and the presence of local bodies within the decisional process (planning, negotiation, management, evaluation, monitoring) are justly being strengthened. Brussels has been saying it for years: there is a need for strong and proactive local bodies representing the true needs of the population without the constant mediation of the Capitals. All considered it’s a good opportunity to put into practice the measures envisaged with the new EU Treaty. As is the case for Member States’ Foreign Policy and Defence, the EU ought to address a series of fundamental questions, leaving national legislations to – harmoniously – manage the rest. This would benefit all areas at democratic, participatory, political, administrative and bureaucratic level. Bringing together numerous forces to create a stronger one means putting an end to competition and to conflicting responsibilities, thus leading to complementarity. This is the logic of federalism.