Dipartimento per le riforme istituzionali

An International conference 

"Federalizing Process in Italy - Comparative Perspectives"

INTERVENTIONS SPEAKERS

 

Thursday, February 18

Welcome Address

• Hon. Gianni Letta, State Undersecretary, Italian Governement (speech - pdf)

• Hon. Aldo Brancher,  State Undersecretary for Institutional Reforms (speech - pdf)

• George Anderson, President of the Forum of Federations.

 

Introduction

Challenges of Federalizing Process in Italy

Prof. Beniamino Caravita di Toritto, Università "La Sapienza" di Roma.

 

1^st Session

Clarifying Division of Competencies

Chairperson: pref. Riccardo Carpino, Chief of staff, Minister for Regional Affairs.

Case Study Spain: How did Spain devolve competencies? Dr. Félix Acitores Durán, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Territorial Policy, Madrid  (speech - pdf)

Case Study Germany: How did Germany disentangle competencies?  Dr. Bernd Küster, Director, Federal Ministry of the Interior, Berlin (speech - pdf)

Case Study Switzerland: How does Switzerland live with decentralized competencies? Dr. Anne Benoit, Legal Advisor, Federal Department of Justice, Bern  (presentation - ppt)

Devolving competencies: the ongoing federalizing process in Italy.  Prof. Antonio D'Atena, University of Rome "Tor Vergata". 

   

2^nd Session

Challenges of Fiscal Federalism in a Comparative Perspective.

Chairperson: Cons. Claudio Tucciarelli, Head of Department for constitutional reform.

Comparative overview. Dr. Ethisham Ahmad, International Monetary Fund/London School of Economics  (presentation - ppt)

The Canadian experience. George Anderson, President, Forum of Federations  (presentation - ppt)

The Australian experience. Prof. Alan Fenna, Curtin University, Perth, Australia (presentation - ppt) 

The Italian experience. Prof. Carlo Buratti, University of Padoa (speech - pdf,  presentation - ppt)

 

Friday, February 19

3^rd Session

The role of 2^nd Chambers/Upper Houses.

Chairperson: Prof.ssa Melina De Caro, University of Rome Luiss.

Comparative Overview.
Prof. Ron Watts, Fellow, Queens University, Kingston, Canada  (speech - pdf, table - pdf)

The German experience.
Dirk Brouër, Secretary General, Bundesrat , Germany    (speech - pdf, presentation - ppt)

Which role for regional and local governments in the Italian Parliament?
Prof. Nicola Lupo, University of Rome LUISS. 

Focus on federalizing process and lawmaking.
Cons. Valerio Di Porto, Chamber of Deputies Counselor, Italian Parliament (presentation - pdf)

Sen. Andrea Pastore, President of the Commission for the simplification (speech - pdf)

 

4^th Session

Living with Asymmetry.

Chaiperson: Prof. Paolo Carrozza, Sant'Anna School of advanced Studies, Pisa.

Case Study Canada: "Lived but not Loved: Asymmetrical Tensions in Canadian Federalism". Prof. Thomas Hueglin, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada.

Case Study Spain: "Challenges of Asymmetrical Devolution in Spain". Prof. César Colino, Professor of Political Science and Administration, National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid  (presentation - ppt)

Case Study Germany: "Perspectives from East-Germany". Dr. Michael Schneider, State Secretary for Federal Affairs and Envoy of the State of Saxony-Anhalt to the Federal Government; Chairman of the Committee of the Regions' Commission for territorial cohesion policy (COTER)  (speech - pdf)

"Special Regions": the Italian way to asymmetry before and after 2001. Prof. Giulio Salerno, University of Macerata.

 

Final remarks

Federalizing process in Italy: opportunities and risks. What to learn, what to avoid.

Chaiperson: Felix Knüepling, Director Europe, Forum of Federations.

Prof. Carlo Fusaro,  University of Florence (speech - pdf)

George Anderson, Forum of Federations