Introduzione del “dibattito pubblico” in Italia: motivi, obiettivi, rischi e proposte operative di Angela Airoldi, Tatiana Cini e Roberto Zucchetti

Introduction of the Public Debate in Italy: Reasons, Goals, Risks, and Operational Proposals
by Angela Airoldi, Tatiana Cini and Roberto Zucchetti

ABSTRACT

The difficulty of the decision-making processes for the definition and the implementation of major works, in particular infrastructures, is a constant in all the democratic realities; however, in Italy they have assumed in some cases, the contours of a real social revolt. The aim of the paper is to propose a policy to deal with that critical issue.
The WP starts from highlighting the need of a tool to foster a real dialogue, in order to face the decision to create a work and, above all, to discuss the theme in a proper and constructive way. Starting from the experience of decision-making processes run during the past few decades in Italy, the paper shows the need to maintain the debate activity within welldefined limits; in that way, it could usefully contribute to the decision, not becoming itself a source of hindrance and confusion.
In the Anglo-Saxon world the concepts of “public engagement” and “public involvement”, more than techniques, are a cultural approach to the subject of substantial democracy; in effect, they hold a primary importance in the training of the persons with a decision-making position in the public sphere.
Within the general theme of the public engagement the paper focuses on a delicate and important phase, that is the information and the listening to the population directly interested by the construction of a new infrastructure. The reason of that preference is the decision of the Legislative Decree 50/2016, known as “New Procurement Code”, to introduce a special procedure aimed at the development of a public debate with the local communities directly involved. The Implementing Decree of that rule is still under development and that is the reason why the paper highlights two Italian cases of discussion with the population, respectively conflicted and collaborative, but deepens the French system of débat public, to which the Italian legislator clearly referred.
However, the analysis of the legislative decree has shown that the Italian process differs in several and crucial points from the French example; in light of that, the document invites to a reflection about the consequences that a different approach can implicate, that is the risk of a contradiction of the initial goals, turning the discussion from a facilitating tool to an obstacle or a controversy.
The policy section follows and explains some proposals for a revision of the Italian Legislative Decree, besides some suggestions to draft the Implementation act.