The ambiguous status of Sardinia

This week, the APROFED association continues its overview of territories with special status. After Monaco earlier this week, today it’s the turn of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy with special status.

Defined by a constitutional law adopted in 1948, Sardinia is one of the five Italian regions with special status , alongside Sicily, Valle d’Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

This status was granted to him for several reasons:

• • Island geographical position , which leads to economic and logistical constraints.

• • Distinct cultural and linguistic identity , notably the Sardinian language (the “Sardu”).

• • Need for specific economic development , due to a historical delay compared to the rest of the country.

Thanks to this status, the Autonomous Region of Sardinia has broader powers than ordinary regions:

• • Legislative autonomy in several areas: town planning, agriculture, transport, health, cultural heritage, etc. 

The Sardinian Parliament legislates on a number of areas for which it has exclusive competence. Outside of these areas of exclusive competence, framework laws can also be passed to provide direction to the general law.

• • Autonomous management of financial resources , with a significant portion of taxes collected on the island returned to the region.

However, there are numerous legal conflicts between the region and the state, particularly regarding the collection of taxes and the resources available to Sardinia. 70% of the taxes paid by Sardinians should remain in Sardinia. The reality is quite different, according to Carlo Pala, a research professor:  “The problem is that in the absence of implementing laws, the region paid 100% to the state and the state “forgot” to return the 70% to the region. In 2005, when doing some calculations, the region realized that the Italian state had to return 10 billion euros to Sardinia.” (see Autonomy: Sardinia, a model to follow for Corsica? ).

• • Protection and promotion of the Sardinian language and culture .

Despite its special status, Sardinia remains subject to:

• • The Italian Constitution ,

• • to the constitutional control of regional laws,

Just like in New Caledonia, despite having legislative power, Sardinia regularly sees its laws blocked. “Over the past five years, we have seen this incredible record of 11 laws sent back by the state to the region. That is, 11 laws blocked either by the central government, which can intervene, or by the Constitutional Council.”

• • to the budgetary limits imposed by the Italian State .

Sardinian movements are thus demanding even greater autonomy , or even independence, believing that Sardinia’s autonomy only exists on paper, as the journalist Vito Biolchini describes it, who likes to speak of “Sardinian ambiguity”.

Critics denounce the fact that the special status has not been enough to solve the island’s economic and social problems (unemployment, youth exodus, limited infrastructure, etc.). In 2019, Sardinia lost 20,000 inhabitants. The population is declining. Some Sardinians would therefore like to decide for themselves for their own territory and for this to be the case for other regions as in a federal state.

It should be noted that Sicily, due to its more advanced status, comes closer to this state of affairs by having a specific management of justice (administrative) and an influence on certain aspects of the judicial organization. Furthermore, although police powers remain mainly in the central state, the regions still have local police forces (polizia locale) with limited powers.

In Sardinia, independence sentiment has infused public opinion. However, it is not reflected in the ballot box; the political class has never wanted to enter into confrontation with Rome to negotiate a new statute. Things may change. This is one of the objectives set by the new coalition, despite the deterioration of relations between Rome and Cagliari (the capital of Sardinia). It should be noted that if Sardinia wants to change its statute, it can do so; it does not need to ask anyone for permission. It is certain that if the regional council defines a new standard, it will then have to enter into confrontation with the state. But the regional council has the power to rewrite its statute of autonomy; the problem is that it lacks the political strength to do so.

Thus, as can be seen from one island to another, it is possible to observe certain similarities between the situation in Sardinia and New Caledonia.

We wish you a good read and remind you that federalism is the only solution to reconcile unity in diversity.