Il ruolo delle città metropolitane alla luce della sentenza n. 240 del 2021: governance metropolitana e funzioni

This short paper is an analysis of the Constitutional Court’s decision no. 240/2021 on metropolitan areas. In particular, the ruling provided an opportunity to revise the legal meaning of the term «metropolitan area» (also in relation to the doctrinal debate). This analysis made it possible to examine two related central issues in the study of metropolitan areas: the system of local functions and the local governance (in the relation to governing bodies and local political representation). Therefore, and in the wake of the above-mentioned decision, an attempt has been made to address an account of the problems linked to the figure role of the metropolitan mayor who, given the tasks assigned to him and the general functions of the metropolitan city, he is not elected by the electoral body he represents and but it automatically he is the mayor of the capital municipality