Italian regions and the European benchmark: structural reasons for the lack of convergence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13133/2037-3651/19028Keywords:
regional convergence, Italian regions, public investment, structural divergence, European integrationAbstract
The European regional economic systems are economically and socially heterogeneous realities. Among European regions, Italian regions have suffered the most from the economic policies underlying the introduction of the euro in terms of investments, research and development, public spending quality, productive specialization, and lower wage levels compared to the European average. The growth differential in the considered variables between Italian regions and other European regions is linked to their productive structure and specialization. Furthermore, the fragmentation of public spending across multiple institutional levels, without adequate coordination, prevents addressing the structural issues of Italian regions. This highlights a clear need for governance and planning of public spending within Italian regions, as well as for adequate tools to effectively combine instruments and goals.
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