European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation ARCHIMED EGCT – ΕΟΕΣ – AECT – GECT

“Un altro regionalismo è possibile” (“Another Regionalism is Possible”) written by Francesco Attaguile (President of Gect ArchiMed), published in the Sicilian newspaper La Sicilia. It serves as an analysis and introduction to a book presentation by Prof. Andrea Piraino titled “L’altro regionalismo” (“The Other Regionalism”), which proposes a radical restructuring of Italy’s territorial governance.

Key Themes & Critical Analysis

1. The Failure of Sicilian Autonomy and Current Regionalism

• Historical Context: The author notes that 80 years after the 1946 Special Statute of Sicily, the promise of Sicilian autonomy has largely failed. Instead of driving growth, it devolved into a system plagued by patronage, clientelism, and inefficient local governance.
• The “Cuffarismo” Legacy: Attaguile criticizes the regional political class for maintaining a status quo that benefits an elite “clientele” (estimated at 800,000 people in Sicily) rather than serving the public interest.

2. Critique of the Calderoli “Differentiated Autonomy” Reform

• The article strongly opposes the “Calderoli reform” pushed by the Northern League (Lega).
• The author argues that this reform will wider the socio-economic gap between Northern and Southern Italy, further isolating the South and harming the country’s cohesion within Europe.
• He blames Southern political leaders (both center-right and center-left) for failing to offer a valid, constructive counter-proposal, choosing instead to remain indifferent or merely obstructionist.

3. The Proposal: “L’altro regionalismo” (The Other Regionalism)

Prof. Piraino’s book outlines an alternative vision to dismantle the current, failing regional structure:

• Abolishing the 20 Italian Regions: The plan proposes replacing the current 20 regions and 110 provinces with a streamlined model consisting of only 36 Macroregions (with 2 or 3 specific to Sicily), aligned with a proposal by the Italian Geographical Society.
• Multi-level Governance: Shifting power away from centralized regional capitals toward coordinated “Macro-regions” and “Regional Departments” with legislative power, modeled after highly functional European systems like Trentino-Alto Adige.
• Transnational Integration: Using tools like Gect ArchiMed (Euro-Mediterranean territorial cooperation group) to foster cross-border networks, turning the Mediterranean islands into a cohesive transnational macroregion.

Event Details (Flyer Panel)

The right side of the image contains an invitation to the public presentation of the book:

• Event Title: La macroregione: una nuova prospettiva per il Mezzogiorno e l’Italia? (The Macroregion: A New Perspective for the South and Italy?)
• Date & Time: Saturday, November 22, 2025, at 10:00 AM.
• Location: Isola – Palazzo Biscari, Catania.
• Key Speakers: * Prof. Andrea Piraino (Author)
  • Vincenzo Antonelli (University of Catania)
  • Alessandro Morelli (University of Messina)
  • Ida Nicotra (President of the Scuola Superiore of Catania)
  • Fausto Vecchio (Kore University of Enna)
  • Moderator: Antonello Piraneo (Director of La Sicilia)

The document includes a handwritten note from the author, Francesco, stating: “Ci vediamo tutti sabato mattina” (“See you all Saturday morning”).