I riflessi locali dell’austerità nell’epoca del dispositivo di ripresa e resilienza

The paper reconstructs how the European Union’s recovery policies with respect to the Covid-19 pandemic have affected the spending autonomy of local authorities. The analysis starts from the relationship between European Union budgetary policies –especially after the strengthening of austerity following the 2008 crisis –and local autonomy, also understood in a substantive sense, as the possibility of implementingpolicies consistent with fundamental rights and in particular social rights, through the redressing of existing inequalities between and within territories. After a general reconstruction of this relationship, the research examines the innovations introduced by post-pandemic measures, with particular reference to the Next Generation EU (NGEU). These latter profiles will be examined alongside those that are instead in continuity with the pre-existing scenario. The final objective is to observe the impact on local autonomy, with specific reference to the use of resources for social and substantive equality purposes.