Come sostenere i Sud che si muovono: ovvero perché non bisogna tornare al Mezzogiorno

How to sustain the development of southern regions. Or why we should not come back to the old category of «Mezzogiorno»
In the 1990s, southern regions showed new signs of dynamism. The «Italian model» based on local systems of small firms spread in some regions of the South. New forms of social and political mobilization also grew. In the 2000s, the expectations of a more stable and sound development were disappointed. The paper argues that this trend should not lead back to the old category of «Mezzogiorno», that is to the old idea that the South of Italy is a homogeneous backward area, and to old policies based on financial incentives to individual firms. It remains crucial to promote more effective policies aimed at improving the accountability of local political and economic leadership and increasing the supply of collective goods at a local level.