Recentralizing trends in an austerity context: State intervention and vertical cooperation in social policies in Italy and Spain

The essay proposes a comparative study of the implementation of the constitutional
rules concerning the division of powers between the state and
the regions/autonomous communities in the field of social policies in Italy
and Spain. The analysis focuses on the forms taken by state intervention
and by vertical cooperation in this sector, which is nominally a competence
of national legislators in both compound states. It leads to observe some
differences, but also basic analogies and a general evolution which is
similar in various aspects, particularly during the recent phase which has
been characterised by the economic crisis and by the austerity context that
this has implied in the European Union: namely, recentralising trends are
pointed out by the examination of legislation and cooperation, as well as
by the study of constitutional case law concerning them. The comparison
finally enables common problems to be detected and possible solutions and
present outlooks to be considered.