La leale cooperazione nell’assestamento del PNRR: un regionalismo “esecutivo” per il superamento dei divari territoriali

The essay provides for a comprehensive account of the principle of loyal cooperation as main tool for understanding the role of the regions within the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). Given the prominence of the central Government in the execution of the Plan, the analysis of the mechanisms provided for intergovernmental relations by the NRRP legislation (the latter - decree law No. 13 of 2023) shows the consolidation of the trajectory towards the executive regionalism. Specific provisions related to the Regions will be highlighted, as well as their claims to “gain” more significance in the intergovernmental relations considering that local autonomies have been positioned by national legislation at the same “rank” in intergovernmental fora. Nevertheless, it is argued that the role of the Regions is relevant given the fact that they are the first subnational entity in the execution of Plan as well as for their capacity building in specific projects tailored over their own territory. Hence, the “collaborative moment” within the Plan among the Regions and between the State and the Regions must be strengthened because it represents the most viable path for coordinating the “European” mandated Plan for overcoming territorial inequalities, which represent the major challenge for Italy in the European Union integration.