COMPARATIVE APPROACH TO THE CONDITIONS FOR THE MANIFESTATION OF LOCAL AUTONOMY IN THE ROMANIAN AND ITALIAN CONTEXT

Abstract

This research addresses the subject of local autonomy - administrative and financial, through a comparative analysis of the determining premises that condition its exercise. Using the cities of Gura Humorului (Romania) and Bergamo (Italy) as practical benchmarks, the study identifies the structural and functional convergences/ divergences between the two local communities, highlighting how the administrative configuration influences real autonomy. The central question of the approach, “Which model of local administration offers a more real autonomy?”, guides the entire investigation beyond the formal legal framework, towards the functional reality of self-government.
The objectives pursued are: analysis of the configuration of local communities, assessment of the availability of human, material, and financial resources, analysis of electoral mechanisms for the establishment of local authorities, study of models of executive organization, recognition of the plenitude of competence for local authorities, and identification of the limits of central power control. The mixed methodology combines qualitative analysis of legal texts with quantitative analysis of administrative and financial indicators, the comparative method being used throughout the scientific path.
The research results confirm the hypotheses launched at the start, demonstrating that the stability of the specialized apparatus and a high self-financing index are direct predictors of real autonomy, that the collegial executive model of the Giunta type favors more technical management, and that forms of administrative supervision significantly condition local decision-making freedom in both systems.
The theoretical-practical implications lie in offering a model for analyzing administrative resilience in a European context, the study providing Romanian decision-makers with arguments for consolidating the autonomy of the administrative apparatus, using the Italian model as a benchmark for efficiency. The conclusions indicate that authentic local autonomy depends on the balance between legal competencies and the concrete resources (human and financial) necessary for their exercise, transforming the city hall from an executor of the center into a service provider capable of responding to the real needs of citizens.