LOCAL AUTONOMY AND DEMOCRACY. ASSUMPTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND LIMITATIONS

The relationship between local autonomies and democracy has proved to be much more complex than what emerged from the clear pages of Tocqueville, which still remain an unavoidable point of reference. Regarding this however there are some conditioning factors (including globalization, populism) that make the reading more difficult. We are also witnessing a tendency, which has lasted for several years, to a compression of the autonomist principle that is dictated by ever-emerging needs. In this context, democracy could be at stake if it continues to be characterised by a certain decision-making and by the goal of freedom and equality. Yet the principle of autonomy appears to be linked to democracy more than ever, although in a review of participatory democracy.