1. 1 Gordian Knots and Alexandrian Solutions The perspectives of the XXI Century THE TRIPLE EUROPEAN MEZZOGIORNO Bruno Amoroso Docent Emeritus Università di Roskilde Danimarca Warsaw November 2008

2. 2 The Gordian Knots 1970s – The warning of the Club of Rome and its impact on: - the scientific community: research agenda (energy, environment, sustainability, etc.) - the institutions political agenda (sectoral approach, global agencies, governance) TOP DOWN APPROACH

3. 3 Power to global agencies and institutions (OCSE, FMI, WB, WTO, etc) Power to global agencies and institutions (OCSE, FMI, WB, WTO, etc) Weakening of local actors, regions and national states Weakening of local actors, regions and national states Promotion of universal (western) values. Human rights strategies Promotion of universal (western) values. Human rights strategies Outcomes:

4. 4 1990s - EUROPEAN COMMUNITY PROBLEMS - EC democratic, social and culture deficit - Risks of fragmentation ANSWERS -EC’s internal cohesion and economic cooperation with the Wider Europe ALTERNATIVE POLICY CHOICES Polycentric model of meso-regions (DATAR, ARL, EU-FAST) or Eurocentric model of centralization around the “core” of the EC (Globalization, marginalization and social exclusion)

5. 5 IMPLEMENTED EU’ POLICIES EC’s Policies: Funds transfer from strong to weaker regions Impact on Triple Mezzogiorno: - no results in development - increasing inequality and dependency - weakening of the local production systems and markets -institutional and private corruption RISE OF GORDIAN KNOTS: Finance, Technology, Governance

6. 6 QUALIFYING ASPECTS OF EU’s TRIPLE MEZZOGIORNO Permanent dualism (culture, social, economy) Permanent dualism (culture, social, economy) Missing integration in the national market Missing integration in the national market Weak links to Western Europe Weak links to Western Europe Traditional bridge role toward regions outside the EU (Eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries) Traditional bridge role toward regions outside the EU (Eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries) Failure in industrialization (“Cathedral in the desert” in Italy and Stalinistic industrialization in Poland and East Germany) Failure in industrialization (“Cathedral in the desert” in Italy and Stalinistic industrialization in Poland and East Germany)

7. 7 ALEXANDRIAN SOLUTION Culture-Nature- Production Systems. Integrated solutions at community level. Culture-Nature- Production Systems. Integrated solutions at community level. From finance to real economy From finance to real economy Polycentrism as permanent basis for development Polycentrism as permanent basis for development Territorial and community based markets and production systems – BOTTOM UP APPROACH FROM LOCAL TO WORLD WIDE Territorial and community based markets and production systems – BOTTOM UP APPROACH FROM LOCAL TO WORLD WIDE Regions of Europe: institutional and partecipation level (contribution by Giovanni d’Orio) Regions of Europe: institutional and partecipation level (contribution by Giovanni d’Orio) Social economies and enterprises (Pierluca Ghibelli contribution) Social economies and enterprises (Pierluca Ghibelli contribution)