Devolution and development - the Sardinian experience

摘要

'There is not in Italy what there is in Sardinia, nor in Sardinia what there is in Italy,' wrote the 18th century monk Francesco Cetti after a visit to the Italian island. A few centuries after Cetti, Sardinia still differs from the Italian mainland, especially when it comes to economic performance. The high unemployment and low income figures in Sardinia sharply contrast with the welfare of the often praised 'industrial districts' in Northern Italy. Sardinia is part of the poor South ('Mezzogiorno'), including regions like Sicily, Calabria, and Campania. Within the Mezzogiorno, however, Sardinia has always had a special position: far away from the mainland, the island was seen by politicians as a fertile ground for questionable policy experiments. But in recent times, Sardinia and its economy have been on the move.