The great historical confusion on the subject of regional autonomy

The law to promote differentiated autonomy between the regions it is a mine for the government, a problem for the center-right presidents of the region (divided among themselves), a good occasion for complaints, also in terms of consensus, for the center-left presidents, a provision that risks getting out of hand promoters themselves (as already happened with the disastrous reform of Title V at the beginning of the millennium and then with the never reached definition of the transition to “standard costs” in 2010). Let’s add that the matter is in the hands of a minister who is both exuberant and tenacious, a terrible mix in politics, like Roberto Calderoli, to understand that predicting the point of arrival is not easy. Certainly there has been a slowdown in recent days, both due to the intervention of other ministers, with the small trap of the coupling between autonomy and presidentialism, and due to the various and understandable jammings of some regional presidents. However, one can try to make a contribution by imagining ways of increasing autonomy that do not respond to demagogic demands, of selfish closure of the richest regions and on the presumption that local administrators are always better than the rulers of Rome. First of all, essential levels of performance in key areas, such as education or healthcare, must be guaranteed. And we need a more correct application of the principle of historical expenditure (paradoxically disliked by the League two decades ago) for the division of resources. It is necessary not only to quantify the historical expenditure, but also to evaluate its quality. Having established the two concepts, a high degree of autonomy may also make sense, for example on the hitherto neglected fiscal side, giving more space in the management of surtaxes, making sure that the role of the region is clear to taxpayers. There is the case of basic income to show how regional autonomy belongs above all to those who know how to take it. Veneto has been able to apply the current law on the subsidy by using all its parts, with punctual checks and a role at work.