The map of provinces Italy is about to be revolutionized. This afternoon the Council of Ministers will finalize the decree on the revision of the so-called "intermediate" local authorities. The Government's intention is to approve the text this evening, at the latest tomorrow. The intervention is part of the plan for the reduction of public expenditure and foresees that the Provinces are almost halved through a series of unifications. The entities headed by a regional capital municipality will not undergo any changes. The reordering will take place on the basis of two criteria: the territorial dimension (no more than 2.500 sq km) and the population (not less than 350 thousand inhabitants).
The provinces with ordinary statute will go from 86 to 50 or 52. These will also be part of the new metropolitan cities, which will have to be established from 2014 January XNUMX and will completely replace the respective Provinces. They will be ten and will arise in the areas of Rome, Turin, Milan, Venice, Genoa, Bologna, Florence, Bari, Naples and Reggio Calabria. It is probable that the territory under the jurisdiction of the metropolitan cities will not coincide perfectly with those of the provinces they will replace. After a meeting between the Minister of Public Administration Filippo Patroni Griffi, the Minister of the Interior Anna Maria Cancellieri and a representation of the Upi (the Union of Italian Provinces), the prevailing orientation seems to be to incorporate into the new entities also the areas of the neighboring provinces.
The situation is more uncertain the provinces with special statute, even if Sardinia has already decided to go from 8 to 4. Instead, Umbria, Molise and Basilicata will have only one Province.
The expectation for the decree is high, above all because the Government is called to clarify a series of points still shrouded in mystery. Above all, the management of the transition period from the current board to the new one. In 2013, the commissioner for all the provinces should start, even for those that will keep the borders ever. This solution – opposed by the UPI – provides for a series of ad hoc commissioners to guide the modification phase until 2014, when the new order will finally see the light.
The surviving Provinces will have the following powers: technology (especially for the landfill sector), transport and traffic (including regarding the construction, classification and management of roads), planning of the school network and management of school buildings for secondary schools. All the other competences that the State had previously attributed to the Provinces will pass to the Municipalities.
On 11 October last, the President of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, had urged to start a "rapid and positive conclusion of the dialogue underway for the completion of the process of reorganization of the Provinces". But there is no shortage of political resistance and before reaching the green light, the executive will have to dodge a few more obstacles.
