Analysis of the political, social and environmental factors causing the divide between the north and the south of Italy. An investigation of the separatist

movement, the idea of an independent north and its economic advantages and disadvantages

  Hannah Jane Cauchi

C12340451May 2015

ProposalOn September 18th 2014 Scotland held a referendum for its independence, there was

constant speculation as to whether independence would actually benefit Scotland or not. As

the news of a clear no spread across Europe many articles began to surface

the internet regarding other separatist movements such as the movement for the independence

of Catalonia and Flanders. Among these articles Italy was mentioned. From this I began to

speculate the idea of a divided Italy. This research project is to be carried out in the host

country of Erasmus and my host university is Universitá degli studi di Verona in the region

of Veneto Italy. From studying secondary school geography we are taught that Italy has a line

of division that creates the Mezzogiorno in the south of the country. I decided to research the

divide in the country and found many articles, forums, books and videos describing a split

between the north and south. After further research it was clear that the history of the Veneto

was somewhat unique to the rest of Italy. In this research project I will discuss the details of

the schism and investigate the desire of independence in the north and in particular the region

of Veneto.

Italy was not always the Italy as we know it today it celebrates its unification and

the Risorgimento (resurgence), proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, every fifty years on

March 17th.  Pre unified Italy consisted of the Italian peninsula combined of different states.

In the north Lombardy and Venetia belonged to Austria, to the west was the Kingdom of

Sardinia-Piedmont which also at the time included Nice and Savoy. The Papal States ruled by

the Pope was located in the middle of Italy and below the Papal States there was the

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies consisting of the bottom half of the Italian boot and the island

of Sicily. The beginning of the Risorgimento is believed to have begun in 1815 and ended 56

years later when Rome became united Italy’s capital. Missiaia, A. (2009).  According to The

Atlantic magazine before Austria’s occupancy of Venice it was officially known as “The

Most Serene Republic of Venice” And it dominated the Mediterranean Sea for a thousand

years between the seventeenth and eighteenth century as a republic before falling under

French and Austrian rule. Venetia then soon became the region of Veneto (as we know it

today) upon unification of Italy. Observation of the ruling history of Veneto shows a

prosperous and strong region with a long history of independence, in contrast to other rich

northern regions of the country, the historic and culturally diverse background separates the

region of Veneto showing its uniqueness in comparison to any other region in Italy. Ford, M.

(2014, March 24).

 

Methodology

 I intend to conduct a series of in depth one to one interviews for my primary research. In my

opinion an interview seems most appropriate for data collection for this research project.

When dealing with economic and political issues, particularly in Italy, a simple answer is not

achievable. The current issues surrounding the causes of the differences between the north

and south as well as the present desire of independence in the north would be difficult to

investigate through means of a survey as the results desired would be more qualitative than

quantitative. The purpose of the interview would be to compare the opinion of an individual

to the secondary data that is available and to answer questions that remain unanswered or

unclear upon completion of secondary research. I intend to ask a small number of open ended

questions to allow the interviewee to express their opinions and knowledge. Below are some

possible questions to include in the interview.

Do you think there is a widening gap between north and south of Italy? (Eg. Culture,

politics, geography, economics) Do you think the region of Veneto should be independent from Italy? Do you think that the region should avoid trying to gain complete independence and

perhaps instead attempt to receive more control over their finances? If north Italy separated from the south do you think that southern Italy would cope? Why do you think Veneto has the strongest desire to be independent? The amount of revenue created by the region compared to the amount of capital it receives

from Rome annually shows a negative difference of about 20 Billion euro. What do you think about the taxing policy present in Italy?

Do you think that business in the north suffers more because of the crisis and a lack in public spending or because of the amount of taxes the north must pay to Rome to balance the debt that the south creates through corruption and tax evasion?

Do you think that Veneto will achieve independence?

A review of theory is necessary for secondary data research. The most efficient way

to evaluate how different the north and south of Italy are would be to conduct a comparative

analysis while looking at the political economical social and environmental factors. The

purpose of this literature review is to provide a theoretical framework supporting the theory

that there is a substantial difference between north and south Italy and that the schism is more

than geographical.

       

 The geographical differences between the north and south contributes greatly to their

separation causing the blatant gaps and separateness between the north and south. These

contrasting geographic features have led to huge economic dissimilarities. Upon observation

of the geographic location of the north of Italy and its industrial triangle, it can be seen that

its prosperity and growth in comparison to the inferior industrial locations in the south is due

to proximity to markets. Geographically the north of Italy is closer to mainland Europe and

boarders France and Austria. The peripheral remoteness of southern Italy and its dry

mountainous terrain impedes its industrial growth. Micali, S. (2009).  Confirms this by

explaining that “Because of northern Italy’s location, conveniently situated near the rest of

Europe and other European markets such as France, Germany and the UK, the north has

transformed into an industrial marketplace compared to the agricultural, less industrialized

economy of the south.”

Through further research and investigation into why there are vast differences between the

north and south I was quick to find newspaper articles showing an ongoing campaign for the

separation of Italy and independence for the notoriously wealthy north of Italy. There are

many noticeable differences between the north and south in terms of the standard of living,

culture and income are present (with the exception of Rome as the country’s capital the

standard of living is noticeably higher than its surroundings). Southern Italy is in a position

where it depends greatly on the rich industrialised northern territory. The four major regions

that contribute to Italy’s GDP include Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino Alto-Adige,

and Veneto. The Northern league (Lega Nord) (LN) in Italy is a political party that formed

over thirty years ago in favour of a separated Italy and a divide between the north and south.

Extreme uneven development can be seen between the north and south of

Italy. Brittanica describes Lega Nord as “a federalist and fiscal-reform movement with large support in the northern regions” Political parties. (n.d.).Personal

experience of visiting northern and southern territory confirm my beliefs that there is a

growing gap. In recent years there ideas such as independence and federalism have become

popular in the northern regions The aim of this research project is to establish the main

differences between north and south of Italy and to gain an understanding as to why the

northern regions desire independence from Italy. Also to investigate the current situation in

the region of Veneto where there is an increasing demand for independence from Rome.

According to Si Veneto;

 “More than 2.3 million of voters from Veneto expressing their own will, the 89.10% of the recorded votes were in favour of the independence.” VENETO SI. (2015, February 27).

Many newspapers report how Veneto is voting to split from Italy as the residents want

independence. Roberts, H. (2014, March 21). Italy may be a united country but in fact, the

north and south are worlds apart. The recent referendum for Scotland’s independence and

separation from the United Kingdom has had a knock on effect on separatist movements

across Europe to reignite their own agendas. Harress, C. (2014, September 16).

    

Literature reviewThis research project discusses the cause of the division between the north and south of Italy

and what lead to such a schism. The most efficient way to a how different the north and south

of Italy are would be to conduct a comparative analysis while looking at the political

economical social and environmental factors.

Before studying the topic it is common knowledge that the country of Italy suffers from long

term political corruption and illegal organisations such as the Mafia still exist today. With

problems such as nepotism, tax evasion, political corruption present in the south along with

its lack of industry, with the exception of agriculture, the south has very little to contribute to

the wealth of the country in comparison to the north. Due to high taxes businesses across

Italy participate in the ongoing issue of tax evasion that is present across Italy.

The online news website The Daily Mail tells us that while the north is speculating the idea

of independence from the south, more specifically, the region of Veneto has votes that

account for 89.1% of its 5 million in population who said yes to wanting their

independence. Roberts, H. (2014, March 21).  The political party Lega Nord (LN) play a large role in the campaign for this separatist movement.The more I read into this issue the more questions I began to form on the subject. Some of the

questions included;

Why is north and south of Italy so different?

Why is the north campaigning for independence?

Reminding ourselves that most Mafia based novels and films usually are set in south of

Italy this is because statistically the south presents high levels of this criminal activity with

very little Mafia activity in the north. Tax evasion in Italy poses a huge problem and with the

current economic climate and Italy’s financial position during this crisis it has had an

immense effect on various regions throughout Italy. According to the Federal Bureau of

Investigation (FBI) there are four different mafia organisations that are all located in south of

Italy.

The Sicilian Mafia based in Sicily, The Camorra based in Napoli, The Ndrangheta based

in Calabria and finally the Sacra Corona Unita based in Puglia. With very little amounts of

this type of criminal activity in the north it is easy to separate the two halves of the country

by comparing them in terms of mafia activity. Italian Organized Crime. (2010, August 27). I believe that the high levels of tax evasion are probably because with the Mafia imposing charges for so-called “protection”, the small family run businesses that contribute towards most of the annual GDP from the south, in conjunction with greed has caused these high levels of tax evasion. With the government losing money annually on tax this causes problems for the economy putting pressure on Rome to increase taxes and in turn the businesses that do pay tax, pay an excessive amount. In turn one can imagine that given the current economic crisis the knock on effect of high taxes, inflation, decreased consumer spending would send most businesses into bankruptcy. I began to understand how the north could desperately seek independence to save its own economy. (Micali, 2009)            Research of the economy of the north raised my awareness as to just how strong the economy is in comparison to the south. The economic differences are most prominent with the majority of Italy's GDP produced in the northern region. According to the International Business Times the richest region being Lombardy,"GDP per capita in Lombardy, the North's richest region, is 32,200 euro, above the national

average, but only half of that in most southern regions."  Harress, C. (2014, September 16). 

John Agnew tells us that it is clear that the northern regions of Italy are funding to

keep the southern regions afloat. Northern Italy is mainly industry based and that south of

Rome small family businesses are the norm resulting in a colossal difference between the

GDP contributions as the south has minimal industry with the exception of

agriculture. Agnew, J. (1995).

From the study of pre unified Italy it can be seen that what is now the kingdom of

Italy had previously consisted of different states and kingdoms with varied historic leaders

which lead to a culturally diverse Italy. “Italy was a fragmented region often under control

by monarchs elsewhere in Europe”. The Unification of Italy: Summary, Timeline &

Leaders. (2003, January 1). Scholars have noted that the unification of Italy can be seen as only to unify the peninsula, Sardinia and Sicily as a republic state of “Italy” and its people as “Italians” but in fact the people from each end of the country would argue that they only have one thing in common which is their nationality. This is further emphasised by Giordano who reports that “According to the LN, the economic differences between North and South are ascribed to the

alleged contrasts in culture, mentality and attitude on the part of the majority of people in the

South of Italy” Giordano, B.(2000)

When we take a further look into the geography of Italy it can be seen that Northern

Italy’s ideal location for proximity to European markets (e.g. France, Germany and the UK)

and its flat terrain is ideal for industry and the exportation of goods. The industrial triangle of

the north is growing and attracts the educated work force resulting in a brain drain to the

north leaving nothing much but farming and wine cultivation in the south. Micali, S.

illustrates the differences between north and south Italians,

“They are culturally different people and geographically their locations have created

differences between them. Others argue that politically, their forms of government have

influenced this division and statistically the gap in GDP and population density have further

influenced this separation as well. However, this thesis argues, with the agreement of many

scholars, Italy was never really united to begin with” Micali, S. (2009).

Missiaia further emphasises the economic differences between the north and south showing

how their differences date back to pre-unified Italy. 

“Before the political unification; economically, the Italian regions had very different

patterns of growth, with the North western regions experiencing some proto industrialization

even before 1861, while the South remained exclusively rural.” Missiaia, A. (2009).

 

I noticed how when you take a step back and view Italy only geographically and take

into account its landscape, shape, size and proximity to bordering countries it is easy to see

how the south of Italy’s peripheral location surrounded by sea can cause trade barriers, aside

from the fact that the topography of the land is not ideal for industry and transport of goods

with such a mountainous landscape. It can be seen how the constant economic growth of the

north with increased industry and advancing technology could create a divergence between

the north and south creating two different cultures. The north constant with advancements

and growth and the south remaining traditional specialising in agriculture and business

culture remaining family run with few employees causing problems of unemployment. This

can be seen across the whole of Italy but is particularly prominent in the south. According to

the online newspaper The Guardian “A father-to-son policy of succession is still allowed in

many industries, which can block out better educated graduates. The youth unemployment

rate is now 30%.” Inman, P. (2011, November 4).  At this point in my research I mistakenly began to focus on the many reasons for

independence from each individual northern region however I decided to specifically

concentrate on the region of Veneto for two reasons. The first reason is because I am

currently studying in this region so it is relevant to my current location and also because of

the diverse history of this region. Unlike the other northern regions who are equally

economically powerful, Veneto, has a majority vote for independence where as my research

shows that the demand for independence is exceedingly high compared to the other regions. I

began to ask myself why and investigate the reasons as to why does Veneto specifically want

Independence.

Upon investigation it is clear that there is a high demand within the region

of Veneto for its independence from Rome. As previously mentioned as much as 89.1% the

region’s population of 5million are in favour of its independence. This stems from the turmoil

created by the taxation system that is present in Italy. The amount of revenue created by the

region compared to the amount of capital it receives from Rome annually shows a negative

difference of about 20 Billion euro. VENETO SI. (2015, February 27).

On the Si, Veneto’s organization website you can find a handbook with many reasons

campaigning for support of the movement for independence. The organisation claims benefits

such as with more power and independence the economy of Veneto can grow and tackle the

social injustice that will ensure a brighter future for everyone. That it will protect the

Venetian language, culture and history. Alla vigilia del plebiscitoper L'indeprendenza. (n.d.).

I acknowledge that many people many Italians may object to complete independence

and so did I originally because to do so would have catastrophic repercussions on the south of

the country, the national debt would increase and it would not have the cushion of the north

to forfeit its success to cover their deficit. Why not seek autonomy instead of independence?

Si Veneto explains how Rome’s parliament would maintain control of key areas such as the

economy and taxes which are the two most important areas as well as social security,

pensions, the legal and illegal immigration, radio and television communication and finally it

would also keep control over international affairs of the north. In reality autonomy is not

enough.

Si Veneto claims that independence could allow them to issue new policies that would reduce

the tax burden by introducing a single rate of 20% and reducing administrative costs for small

and medium-sized enterprises. They add that independence would allow for an increase in

pensions and more investment in education and infrastructure. Alla vigilia del plebiscito per

L'indeprendenza. (n.d.).

With the continuous mentioning of LN and independence I began to question what

exactly is LN and what role does it play? Counterpoint.uk.com posted a

bulletin online stating that LN is an Italian political party that is tied with the support of the

independence for regions in northern Italy, including Lombardy, Piedmont and the Veneto.

Populist Rhetoric: Lega Nord. (n.d.).  In 1990 Umberto Bossi formed the LN by integrating

various northern regional parties. The overall goal of LN is to create an independent north

from south of Italy to form a new independent state called Padania. (Micali, S., 2009)

In terms of social differences between the north and south Micali writes “While

traditions hold back the south, the north of Italy has broken away from these customs and is

moving towards modernity”. (Micali, S., 2009) I would agree with this statement based on

personal experiences. During my Erasmus year studying in Italy I have travelled both the

north and the southern territories. In the south there is an overall sense of family and

tradition. Traditionally businesses close between the hours of noon and three pm and

depending on the nature of the business it would close on weekends. In the south this is still

the norm with businesses in small towns abiding by the tradition it would seem that on

Sundays and weekday afternoons business would come to a halt. It is even notable the lack of

cars on the road and people on the streets. This is less obvious in the north of with

advertisements outside small businesses stating “open all Sunday”. This is confirmed by

Micali, “Families are at the centre of life in southern Italy and one tradition that highlights

this is the siesta, when daily work is paused, shops are closed, and everyone returns home to

their family for a large meal and nap. Another southern tradition that illustrates the

importance of family is the concept of mammismo”. (Micali, S., 2009) New traditions

forming such as young people moving to a different region to continue their education at

university level in another region or city and leave the family home. Micali explains the

concept of mammismo. This concept is the colloquial equivalent known as a “mama’s boy”.

This traditional sense is widespread and emphasised more in the south. It is very common

that the typical mammismo would stay in the family home with his mother until he has found

a successful job and stable wage. Micali also tells us that sometimes a typical mammismo

will remain in the family home even long after he or she is married. (Micali, S., 2009)

Overall in my opinion sometimes when collecting and reviewing secondary data it

becomes difficult to find answers that fully satisfy the questions you may have about a

particular subject or issue. In the case of this project because of my lack of awareness before

research, I was shocked to discover the facts about how very different the north and south of

Italy was. Before this project I had the opinion that Italy was the same from top to bottom,

with landscape being the only variable. Throughout my reading into the thesis written

by Micali, S. I gained insight into how culturally diverse the country was. The norms of the

south being socially closed and family orientated compared to the north, a polar opposite with

students moving away from home to study and instead of siestas which are common in the

south in the north the day continues without a siesta. I found it interesting to discover that an

exception is to be made in terms of southern Italy’s success, tourism. Boasting the southern

half of the country as “less travelled than the north” marketing themselves as the “new place

to explore” is a brilliant idea. If someone asked me if I wanted to go to the popular city of

Milan where millions of tourists travel to annually of if I would like to explore the

“less travelled” coast of southern Italy and its secret beaches and caves I would most

definitely pick the “less travelled” option. This marketing of tourism according to Micali has

worked and that since 2001 agri-tourism has increased by 25% in south of Italy. However, I

learned not to have so much hope for the south. As mentioned, north Italy consists of mainly

industry and very little is present in the south. Southern Italy is more popular for agriculture.

Subsequently upon reading from Micali that “Of Italy’s exports, 27% comes from industry in

comparison to 2% from agriculture.” (Micali, 2009) It is difficult to have so much optimism

for a prosperous south.

 

 

 

While the majority of the review of theory explained and confirmed that there is a substantial

difference between Italians in the north compared to the south it was difficult to find a

reliable source that expressed the opinions and views of Venetians. Aside from the main fact,

that 89.1% majority vote in the unofficial referendum that took place between the 16th and

20th of March 2014, there was not much information about the opinion of the public. Given

nearly 90% of the 2.1 million residents that voted it would be presumed that there would be a

strong public opinion on the subject. The failure to find this information lay the theoretical

framework on which my secondary research would be based. The following section

 

 

 Data Collection

Primary data collection is to be used when secondary data is either unavailable or

inappropriate. Sometimes when collecting and reviewing secondary data it becomes difficult

to find answers that fully satisfy the questions you may have about a particular subject or

issue from a source that is reliable. Throughout my literature review I found a lot of the

answers I was looking for on Wikipedia however this is one of the most unreliable sources on

the internet as it can be instantly edited by anyone at any time. The information I desired, that

secondary research could not provide, is in the mind of the public.

When reading scholarly articles and journals I think of academics who have spent

years specialising in these areas formulating ideas, developing opinions and defending their

arguments. While I understand that these are reliable sources with a broad range of citation

from other books, scholarly articles or journals it can be presumed that not every reader will

agree or find everything that they are looking for. Before beginning to collect primary data I

began to ask myself, what information did I not find? And from the information that I found,

what do these articles not tell me?

My objective was to obtain the opinions and views from locals first hand. To discover

the extent of their awareness of the. I also sought to discover how the people who are

originally from the region of Veneto would classify themselves e.g. Italian, north Italian or

Venetian? After secondary research I began to question if the students at university were in

favour or against the movement for Veneto’s independence and what the people’s opinions

about LN are. While online I could only find the statistic that 89.1% of the 2.1 million voters

said yes when asked if they want independence, however, this doesn’t tell you why they want

it? The question posed may only have had two options, yes or no, in which case they are

forced to pick one or the other. There are no statistics that show the demographics of those

who voted no, or those who didn’t vote, I thought this would be interesting to try discover. I

also thought it would be interesting to see the views of people from the south. It is my

intention to find southern Italians resident in the region of Veneto to hear their opinions about

the current issue. There was lots of information as to why there is high demand for

independence In Veneto however, there was little or no information on why the demand is

not as high in other regions. These are the type of questions I began to consider.

             When collecting data it is important to choose the correct method. Firstly it is important for me to take the question approach rather than observational approach. I then considered three methods of data collection, survey, interview and a focus group. The type of questions I

needed to ask were questions with qualitative and highly opinionated answers. The questions to be asked are mostly open-ended questions. This in turn eliminated a survey style method from the selection process in choosing a method of data collection.

I decided to investigate the advantages and limitations regarding conducting a focus

group style interview. I discovered that focus groups allow for more interaction with

participants which allows questions that probe deeper into a subject or issue. The results from

a focus group can be easier to understand than complicated statistical data. I also discovered

that focus groups can be used for observational reasons, for example, facial expressions and

body language revolving around a subject or issue can tell the researcher a lot. Finally it is

obvious that information is received quicker in a focus group than if people were interviewed

separately. Some of the limitations included the fact that a smaller sample size would mean

that a focus group might not be a good representation of a larger population. Focus groups

can be difficult to steer as group discussions may develop conflicts of opinions, time can be

lost easily. Remembering my objectives of my research I intend to discover opinions of those

who are from both the south and the north. Conflicting interests between members of a focus

group can make other members shy away and not reveal their true opinions and ideas

regarding the issue in question. I realised that a focus group is not ideal for the gathering of

data that I require. The controversy between opposing opinions would cause a debate which

is not my objective.

“The qualitative research interview seeks to describe and the meanings of central themes in

the life world of the subjects. The main task in interviewing is to understand the meaning of

what the interviewees say.” Kvale. (1996)

I finally decided to upon using an interview style method of data collection. There are

many styles of interviewing. I decided that interviewing would be the best method because I

weighed up the advantages and the disadvantages of conducting interviews and even though

it has disadvantages it still was the most suitable method. The various types of interviewing

include the following; Structured – specific set of questions where the interviewer cannot divert Unstructured – no preparation of questions to be asked Semi-structured – set of questions are arranged before but the interview

allows for new ideas depending on the responses of the interviewee

Taking into consideration that the objective is to discover the thoughts and ideas of the

interviewee to draw a conclusion and fill the gaps of information from my review of theory it

seemed fitting to conduct a semi-structured style interview.

Limitations

            There are however some disadvantages present with method of data collection. These

limitations include the risk of prejudice. As humans it is very difficult not to judge people.

Judging can be in a positive or negative light, regardless, it can sway the results of the survey.

If an interviewer pre judges an interviewee and considers their responses of a higher or lesser

quality to other participants. The interviewer must regard every participant’s contribution of

equal value. The planning and preparation of the interview can be difficult, deciding a time

and place for the interview to happen in comfortable surroundings. Another problem that

could occur is unintentionally forming gaps and missing information. Being an interviewer

demands the skill of multitasking. An interviewer must be able to listen intently and analyse

the information instantly while forming follow up questions to clarify the information being

received, eye-contact must be kept to ensure trust between the interviewer and interviewee

and to assure that each answer is valued by the interviewer. Trust and a feeling of comfort

and value must be achieved by the interviewer to allow the interviewee to be truly open and

honest in their responses.

In my opinion the key to finding the right way to collect data is to plan and explore all

limitations and attempt to find a common solution to every limitation. I found that instant

messaging (IM) and email as the best method of in-depth interviewing for my circumstances.

This seemed most appropriate as there are no costs involved with IM and email. The

interviews would be automatically recorded which is something of great benefit as it is time

saving. IM and email allows me to interview people of different geographical locations

without the time cost of travel.

I then proceeded to design the template for the interview. I designed a set of questions

that would have both specific and non-specific answers, this will help when analysing the

data. Questions that require specific answers is to aid when categorising the data. Eg. What

region of Italy are you originally from? The answer will determine if the interviewee is from

the north or south. The following is a set of questions I designed to help understand, on

another level, the issues discussed during the previous section (review of theory).1. What region of Italy are you originally from2. Are you more inclined to call yourself venetian or Italian?( if the participant

is from Veneto)3. Do you support the political group LN? Why/why not?4. LN present us with a movement for independence do you think Veneto

should be independent?5. Do you think that the region should avoid trying to gain independence and

perhaps gain financial independence?6. Do you think the south Italy could not survive without the help of Northern

Italy?7. What do you think the main struggles for Italy are?

8. Do you think that there is a widening gap between the north and south of Italy? (e.g. Culture, Politics, Geography, Economy)

9. Do you thing that the region of Veneto should have independence from Italy?

10. There is this idea of independence of the north but only the venetians have publicly asked who would vote yes or no if a referendum were to occur, why do you think this is not the case in Piedmont, Alto-Adige and Lombardy?

The above questions asked were chosen carefully, it is difficult to design a set of

questions without trying to sway results. Each question to be asked must not give an

impression that I, the interviewer, am biased. I must not give any indication of being for or

against one side of the issue. With the exception of question 2, each question is tailored to be

relevant to any individual from any part of Italy.

 The next step in my data collection is choosing a sample. Choosing a sample can be

difficult because in essence the sample will act as a representative of the population. The

sample must be scientific, reliable, objective and quantifiable. Random sampling is best to

minimise the possibility of bias. Stratified sampling seemed the best option for my data

collection. This is because the random sample will be taken from a social category such as

age gender or race. I decided to vary the sample by asking different age groups, 18-30 and

30+. Given that the issue in question addresses current issues in Italy it is necessary choose

resident Italian nationals for my sample.

 I asked students, lecturers and local business managers/owners. I did not choose

which students to ask based on their field of study or based on how well I knew them. Due to

my studies in the university I am in a number of closed class groups on Facebook. In each

group I asked if anyone would be willing to answer a few questions via Facebook messenger.

The students would represent the 18-30 age bracket and the lecturers and local business

managers/owners would represent the 30+ age bracket. I also emailed my module lecturers

asking them to take part in an email interview, only two lecturers responded. I decided to go

in person to each local business I asked to take part in the interviews and talk to the manager

or owner. I then followed up with an email and those who responded were the potential

interviewees who I would interview via email. The final sample was three students, two

lecturers, one start-up business owner and one director of a business.

The willing participants for the interviews were from a mixture between north and

south Italy. The interviews were carried out through two forms of internet interviews, email

and instant messaging. Two of the three participants between 18 and 30 were from north

Italy. One student from Murano, a series of islands about 1.5km north of Venice and the other

student from Brescia, Lombardy. The third student is of southern roots, born and raised in

Lazio but has been studying and living in Verona for three years. Two lecturers also

participated, one from Genoa, Liguria and the other from Naples in southern Italy. The two

lecturers that participated both teach subjects in the faculty of economics at the University of

Verona neither of the lecturers are from the region of Veneto. The lecturers both claim to be

from north Italy, however, one had been living in Verona for 35 years and considers himself

Veronese and from north Italy, when asked where he is from he answers Verona in north

Italy and if he is asked where he is born, only then he would answer with Puglia, south Italy.

The other lecturer is from Trento, Alto-Adige. To my surprise I did not endure any form of

language barrier as my written Italian is much stronger than my spoken Italian. Given the

different origins of the participants the spoken dialect was not an issue for me. It is common

for Italians to speak dialect and different accents and the speed of conversation would be

difficult for me to understand translate and record had I of interviewed each person verbally.

IM and email allowed me to carefully word my questions and then translate responses in the

most appropriate way from Italian to English. As the two languages do not always translate

directly IM and email makes interpreting each response easier.

The primary data collection was the most interesting part of the research project for

me. It was interesting to interact with the public and view the opinions of different ages from

different regions of Italy. From the secondary research I discovered all the differences

between north and south Italy, partially confirming my original hypothesis. Taking this into

consideration it can be presumed that when independence of the north is the question, the

participants of the northern territory would be in favour and the southerners would be against

the movement. The series of interviews proved that this is not the case, when asked if, in the

opinion of the interviewee, is there a widening gap between the north and south of Italy, some

of the responses included the following; “Obviously there are differences, but there are also

differences between the people of Lombardy and Venice. You are a student from Dublin, if I

asked you if there is a difference between Dublin and Galway it would be sure that you

would respond “yes”. Economically speaking yes we are on opposite ends of the scale but

efforts are being made and reform is on the horizon for south of Italy. Change will not happen

overnight but over time I believe that the south will improve.” (Lecturer, 30+, Genoa). This

response allowed me to reflect on other countries. Every country has its strengths and

weaknesses, obviously there are extremes in the case of Italy in comparison to others, this

statement was the beginning of a new perspective on the issue for me. A summary of the

response from one student to questions about the differences between north and south and

what the main struggles are for the country, the student highlighted how there are many

problems present in Italy, and there have been problems since long before the economic

recession. There is a drastic need for change and reform in the country, but for the country as

a whole. The north and south are different culturally and the north are at an advantage

because it is more suitable for industry because it is closer to central Europe, but this does not

mean that there should be a divide and separation. (Student, 21, South Italy)

However upon observation of the above graph shows the opinions of the participants

of the series of interviews. When asked if the south could support itself financially without

the help of the north, the opinions of the participants showed a clear no with 5 out of 7 saying

that it would not survive. Two of the five who said no, expressed the opinion that the south

would fall below European standard and would probably fall to a standard equivalent to third

world countries. The two participants that said they think it could be possible for the south to

survive independently also mentioned how this would only be possible if some of the major

issues that faces the country at the moment ceased to exist. This question about the financial

stability of the south interested me a lot during the review of theory section. There are many

statistics and numbers all over the internet regarding Italy and its financial issues. This

question in particular is one that came to mind at the very beginning of the project. One could

conclude that it would be a blatant no, but the answer to this question was nowhere to be

found in writing online. It was satisfying to achieve the predicted result from a question I

could not find the answer to through secondary research. As previously mentioned there are

several problems surrounding Italy both economically and politically. The following bar chart

displays the results from the interviews on the opinion of the major problems Italy currently

faces.

Each participant answered with more than two problems currently facing Italy. I was

surprised to see that corruption was not the leading issue in the opinion of the participants.

The other section was the category of nepotism. Unemployment is a huge problem that I hear

about a lot here in Italy with youth unemployment at 30% in 2011 Inman. (2011.) In respect

to the questions surrounding LN and the movement for the independence of Veneto the

results were as expected. Those who are from Veneto or consider themselves from the region

said that they voted yes in the unofficial referendum of 2014 and they fully support LN and

Si Veneto for the region to become an independent. The respondents from the north of Italy

agree and follow the right wing party however they don’t agree with the independence of

Veneto. One respondent commented “This isn’t realistic, Veneto is one of the richest regions

but it is not the richest region overall. The only thing that might make them different to the

other northern regions is the history of the region. History is the past not the present. The

northern regions feel the pressures of the south also Veneto isn’t any different to Lombardy

or alto-Adige”. The review of literature provides us with the solid evidence of the north and

south diverging and the unofficial referendum in the region of Veneto provided us with the

insight that there is a strong demand for independence within the region however primary

data collection has enabled us to view the opinions of the public from outside the region

itself. The issue lies within the paradox that Veneto faces, while there is a strong desire to

break from Italy the rest of the country will not allow this to happen. The results of the

interview filled the previous gaps left from review of theory however simultaneously the

results also caused me to change my opinion about whether Veneto should be independent or

not. Throughout the project the constant reading into the movement for the independence of

Veneto swayed my personal opinion in favour of independence. After completion of the

interviews and analysis of the data I began to re-evaluate my thoughts on the issue.

 

 

 Conclusion and reflection

The investigation of the various factors that contribute to the divide between the northern and

southern regions of Italy has allowed me to gain insight into causes for the apparent desire for

independence in the north. The secondary research analysis provided a theoretical framework

that formed the basis for primary data collection lead me to believe that there was significant

grounds for the unofficial referendum that took place to potentially lead to a legitimate

referendum. The primary research and data collection however allowed me to explore the

opposite side of the movement. Gaining insight into the opinions of the general public

granted me the ability to understand that aside from the history of previous independence and

prosperity of the region of Veneto there is not much difference between the Veneto and the

other wealthy northern regions. This led me to ask myself, so why is Veneto seeking

independence? The other regions strongly support LN and there is a movement present for an

independent north but mainly the idea surrounds the region of Veneto. I believe that there is a

strong case for the motion of achieving Padania which would include the unification of the

northern regions together forming an independent state, however, I appreciate how this is just

an idea and I conclude that in my own opinion it should stay an idea. The risk of bankrupting

the south of Italy is too great and would affect too many people putting them in a position

worse than a recession. The south would become a liability to the European Union. I

acknowledge that I would not have come to this conclusion without the completion of my

primary research. I admit that I was consumed by the idea of an independent north and in

particular an independent Veneto, but the interviews allowed me to let go of this idea and re-

evaluate the situation for those on the opposing side. The population for the motion would be

the minority in comparison to the rest of the country. The thesis written by Micali (2009)

provides several reasons as to why the north would desperately seek independence to save its

own economy. The environmental factors such as the geographical location and proximity to

central Europe and European markets puts northern Italy in a prime location. In addition the

flat terrain of the north allows for industry to grow and for more efficient infrastructure and

transportation. These are contributing factors for cost efficient importation and exportation of

goods and services. This clear leverage the north has to exploit its resources is something the

south can’t compete with. There is however some advantages the south has in contrast to the

north. The lack of industry and slow growth in terms of modernisation has left the south the

same traditional Italy that you do not experience in the north. This can be used to their

advantage in terms of tourism. Agri-tourism is already a marketing technique that is in place

and has increased tourism in the south by 25% by boasting the secret beaches and caves along

with its warmer climate and beautiful mountainous terrain with views that are unachievable

in the north. I feel that with the economic crisis has passed the worst stages and tourism is

picking up again south Italy could use this to their advantage. Taking the small

Mediterranean island of Malta for an example, before it joined the European Union in 2004 it

was below European standards. The stunning island used its attractive landscape to its

advantage. Tourism was a vital factor in the growth and development for the country. Perhaps

Italy could learn from other countries and instead of attempting to resolve the problems in the

south to help take the strain and economic pressure from the north. I believe that the

problems, that have led to separatist movements to persuade the northern population that

independence is the only solution, can be resolved if the political parties work hard together

to stamp out tax evasion and organised crime such as the mafia. These would be the first

steps in reducing the corruption. This idea however may be as unrealistic as the idea of an

independent north.Reflection

Despite the amount of time and effort put into this research project, nothing is ever

perfect. Upon reflection of this project I have come to the realisation that there are

several aspects of this project that I would change if I were to do it again. I came up

with the idea of a divided Italy and began to research the idea during my first week of

Erasmus, I would have ensured that I had officially chosen a project title before my

arrival. The organisation of university and settling into a new country can be difficult

and full concentration can be difficult to achieve. I would have planned my data

collection in advance. Had I of co-ordinated the timing of when I did my data

collection with organised Erasmus trips I could have taken advantage and chose to do

split my data collection into two sections. I could have completed half of the research

in the region of my host university in the north and I could have also done the second

half of my research when I visited Rome. This would have given me a better

understanding in terms of the opinions of the south. I feel like my sample population

was not as varied and random as it should have been. Had the sample been different I

possibly could have had a different outcome and a different conclusion. I would do

extensive in-depth research including a combination of methods of collecting primary

data. I would have surveyed a sample population on just their basic awareness of the

idea of an independent north.

After completion of my data analysis I had been talking with some Italian friends

and many expressed how they were unaware of LN and its movement for

independence from Rome. Choosing a project idea that surrounds the complex topic

that is Italian politics and economics is never easy. The challenge is what I enjoyed

most about this project. I personally find economics based subjects the most difficult

part of International business, as difficult as the subject may be I also think it is the

most interesting part. For this reason I decided to steer away from the typical thoughts

and ideas that surround Italy such as food, wine, fashion and mafia. I feel like I have

developed many skills throughout this research project. I have developed my ability to

analyse, evaluate and think critically. I have definitely enhanced my self-determination

and I have become braver in the sense that I am not afraid to challenge myself. I feel

throughout first and second year at DIT the project titles I chose were always the safe

option. Erasmus year is all about new opportunities. I enjoyed the opportunity to work

solo on a project. Previous projects have always been group projects and enhancing

skills for working in teams, for this reason self-direction and self-discipline play a

large role in the ability to meet deadlines and complete sections of the research project

efficiently. Due to the nature of the project and the country of completion the use of

articulating and designing interviews in the formal tense helped me to develop my

language and translation skills. I also feel like I have a better understanding of

referencing compared to previous years.

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