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The case of Italy

In: Accountability, anti-corruption, and transparency policies in Public-Owned Enterprises (POEs)

Author

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  • Andrea ZATTI

    (University of Pavia, Italy)

Abstract

The third Chapter depicts the interconnections between the two themes (bribery and anti-corruption policies, on the one hand, and the role of public controlled entities, on the other) in the Italian case. Italy turns out to be an interesting case study because, on the one hand, it is among the worst performing countries in the G7 and the EU members in terms of corruption and, on the other, it has experienced a strongly proliferation of Public Owned Enterprises (POEs) during the last two or three decades, involving nearly all activity sectors of the economy. This process is deemed to have weakened the chain of control on shared units, delegating relevant financial and political decisions to a milieu of ambiguity and uncertain accountability (the ‘escape’ argument). A progressive change of direction occurred more recently, when corporatized public enterprises have been submitted to specific and increasing limits, including transparency and anti-corruption policies. The anticorruption package, adopted in Italy starting with 2012, has promoted important steps in this direction, yet the effects of these new measures have not been resolutive, and many challenges are still open.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea ZATTI, 2021. "The case of Italy," CIRIEC Studies Series, in: Andrea ZATTI & CIRIEC (ed.), Accountability, anti-corruption, and transparency policies in Public-Owned Enterprises (POEs), volume 2, chapter 0, pages 43-60, CIRIEC - Université de Liège.
    • Handle: RePEc:crc:chapte:2-01-italy
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nazim Belhocine & La-Bhus Fah Jirasavetakul, 2020. "Lessons from Two Public Sector Reforms in Italy," IMF Working Papers 2020/040, International Monetary Fund.
    2. McDonald, David A., 2016. "To corporatize or not to corporatize (and if so, how?)," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 107-114.
    3. Filippo Belloc, 2014. "Innovation in State-Owned Enterprises: Reconsidering the Conventional Wisdom," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(3), pages 821-848.
    4. Nicola Curci & Domenico Depalo & Emilio Vadal�, 2017. "Municipal socialism or municipal capitalism? The performance of local public enterprises in Italy," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 408, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Italian case study; Corruption Perceptions Index; Anti-corruption package; Consolidated Code of Publicly Owned Enterprises; Compliance regime;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • K23 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Regulated Industries and Administrative Law
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • L32 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Public Enterprises; Public-Private Enterprises

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