75 years of special autonomy: time to rethink Article 116 of the Constitution
On 1 January 1948, the Constitution of the Italian Republic officially came into force, laying the foundations of our democracy and setting out the founding principles of the State. Among the articles most significant for the country’s administrative structure is Article 116, which recognises special forms and conditions of autonomy for the special-statute Regions, including Trentino-Alto Adige, together with Valle d’Aosta, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Sardinia and Sicily.
This provision established that, through a special statute approved by constitutional law, certain regions could enjoy an institutional, economic and fiscal arrangement different from that of the other ordinary regions. A choice born of very specific historical, cultural and geographical needs in the aftermath of the Second World War.
A gesture that gives pause
What made me reflect further on the relevance and fairness of this special autonomy was the recent footage showing Merano’s newly elected mayor, Katharina Zeller, during her inauguration ceremony. An institutional moment that sparked uproar and controversy: the mayor refused to wear the tricolour sash, the symbol of national unity and of belonging to the Italian Republic.
A gesture that, whatever the personal intentions behind it, is deeply striking for its symbolic value, especially coming from an institutional representative who exercises her mandate within a Republic founded on the equality of citizens and solidarity among territories.
A disparity that weighs heavily
Today, 75 years after the Constitution came into force, the historical, social and economic context has changed radically. Special autonomy, which was meant to be a temporary or in any case targeted exception, has become a structural privilege that creates serious imbalances. Those who pay the price are above all the territories bordering these special regions, such as the Province of Belluno, squeezed between Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Belluno, although it shares with the autonomous regions a mountain reality made up of logistical, demographic and infrastructural challenges, does not benefit from the same instruments of intervention. The fiscal differences are glaring: from grants for local businesses to tax relief for residents, to a greater capacity for public spending, the autonomous regions can operate with a flexibility that Belluno — and many other Italian provinces — cannot afford.
Preferential taxation? Only for some
The result is there for all to see: businesses fleeing, an ageing population, difficulty guaranteeing basic services, while special-statute territories attract investment and resources thanks in part to preferential taxation and greater decision-making capacity. This distorts the domestic market, undermines territorial cohesion and creates “first-class” and “second-class” citizens within the same Republic.
Time to repeal Article 116
After three quarters of a century, the time has come to open a serious and courageous debate on the real fairness of Italy’s regional system. Article 116, as it is conceived today, is no longer sustainable: if autonomy is meant to be a tool for guaranteeing development and quality of life, then it must be so for everyone, not only for those who had the good fortune of falling within a constitutional design that is now outdated.
Mayor Zeller’s gesture may seem isolated, but it is a symptom of a growing distance, cultural and institutional, between some regions and the rest of the country. It is time to repeal or profoundly reform Article 116, to restore balance, fiscal justice and administrative dignity to provinces like Belluno.
Italy can remain united only if all its territories are placed on the same footing, with equal rights, equal instruments and equal opportunities.