Studying political participation is essential to understanding its evolution over time, as it represents a key element of a country's democratic quality. Today, voter turnout is declining, and electoral abstention has become a phenomenon of objective significance. In the debate over declining voter turnout, institutions are often seen as a key factor. They can encourage or discourage citizen engagement, depending on whether they function well or poorly. From this perspective, several cases of institutional innovation have been analyzed; one such case is the Montoro case, in which we will examine the institutional and participatory dynamics linked to politics.
Montoro, 10 years later: the broken promises of the institutional merger
An in-depth study of the first and only municipal merger in Campania reveals how institutional innovation does not automatically translate into greater political participation and efficiency. Indeed, old divisions and new management challenges undermine the benefits of the merger.
Methodological approach
To evaluate the actual impact of institutional variables, we proposed developing a double level of analysis: on the one hand, the influence of socioeconomic factors was assessed through contextual data using documentary sources and electoral data , and on the other, the case study allowed us to investigate the functioning of local institutions through interviews with expert witnesses, namely journalists, former politicians and members of local associations who provided us with an informative picture of the situation in Montoro, and with privileged witnesses, namely politicians of the current administration.
Montoro and the Fusion
Montoro, in the province of Avellino, is a municipality comprising fifteen hamlets. Originally an agricultural center, it has become a commercial hub. Its main production area is logistics, thanks to the presence of the Torello company. Recently, there has been a water pollution incident, which has plunged the town into chaos. We are also seeing a population decline and a marked aging of the population.
The 2013 merger, the only one in Campania, represented a historical and administrative reunification. Indeed, it was originally united in 1800. The merger was approved by 77,41% of voters, making Montoro the third most populous municipality in Irpinia.
Electoral participation: a local involvement that resists, but does not grow
Our analysis of electoral data from Eligendo over the last twenty years reveals a complex picture. Although turnout in Montoro, especially in local elections, remains higher than provincial, regional, and national averages, the merger has not had the desired effect. Indeed, a modest decline has been observed even in post-merger local elections.
The real driving force behind the vote in Montoro appears not to be the political project, but rather a deep-rooted factionalism : a strong attachment to the individual hamlets that make up the municipality. Many interviewees expressed the need for a re-netting , or urban re-connection of the hamlets. As emerged from the interviews, the elections are guided more by the mayoral candidate's territorial origins than by his or her platform. This logic favors the emergence of cross-party civic lists , created to ensure balanced representation of the territories and to gain electoral support, which fuels clientelistic dynamics that, according to many, lead to the perception of a low quality of the ruling class.
A Deficient Institution: Between Pre-Failure and Inadequate Services
More than ten years after the merger, the union appears more formal than substantive. The testimonies collected in the field paint a picture of significant management challenges.
- Financial ProblemsThe administration has declared a state of pre-bankruptcy, indicating a structural imbalance in the accounts. This condition, however, has not been recognized by the Court of Auditors and so there is currently a debate as to whether it is true or not.
- This condition is partly attributed, by the interviewees, to a non-strategic use of state funds for the merger, used for current expenditure rather than for long-term investments. This is therefore the reason for the failure to implement the PUC (Municipal Urban Planning Plan). However, data analysis has partially disproved these claims. From the analysis of the coexistence relationship Between investment spending and current spending, it emerges that for every hundred euros of current spending, there is a progressive increase in euros allocated to investments. This indicates that the investment capacity of the Municipality of Montoro has grown over the years. Furthermore, examining the composition ratio Between personnel expenses and current expenses, it's clear that the reduction in the number of employees hasn't led to a proportional reduction in personnel spending. This phenomenon could be attributed to the Municipality's use of temporary workers.
- Poor Public Services: The lack of a system of transportation Efficient public transport among the fifteen hamlets of the municipality not only creates inconvenience, but also accentuates isolation and factionalism, hindering the creation of a united community. Even public services social assistance they are perceived as insufficient to respond to the needs of a fragile social fabric.
- One-Way CommunicationInstitutional communication occurs almost exclusively through digital channels such as websites and Facebook. Although effective, these tools effectively exclude less digitally literate segments of the population, such as the elderly, limiting their access to information and civic participation.
- SafetyOn the one hand, civil security is compromised by recurring episodes of petty crime, such as home burglaries and drug dealing activities. On the other hand, it is affected by the lack of human resources, in particular the lack of local police officers.
The Difficult Path of Young People and Women
The analysis of the inclusiveness of institutions reveals an unclear picture.
Young people appear profoundly disconnected from institutional life. The Youth Forum , for example, despite its local presence and active participation in celebrations and relationships with local health authorities and parishes, is not involved in politics or engaged in dialogue with the administration. A generation emerges that distrusts institutions perceived as distant, lacking points of reference and marked by a profound sense of loneliness.
Regarding women , although their presence in politics has increased slightly since the merger, strong cultural barriers persist. Interviews revealed deep-rooted stereotypes , such as the idea that female councilors are " directed " or included on lists only to comply with gender quotas . Particularly significant is the testimony of one female councilor, who recounts often feeling excluded by her male colleagues, noting that her ideas and projects were not always taken seriously. She adds that for a long time she had to shoulder a sort of "double burden": not only the institutional one, as a councilor, but also the implicit one tied to having to continually assert her role as a woman.
To the future
In light of the analysis conducted, we can say that the merger process, while an important step, has not yet led to concrete improvements, either structurally or in terms of participation. However, the merger process appears to be on the right track, thanks in part to the younger generations, who, born and raised in an already united Montoro, will be able to spearhead a real unification process.
Giulia Faggiano
