Italy's Internal Areas: A Debate on Demographic Decline and Strategic Neglect

The recently presented National Strategic Plan for Internal Areas (PSNAI) outlines four possible demographic futures for Italy's rural municipalities: reversing population decline, reversing birth rate decline, containing birth rate reduction, or managing irreversible depopulation. Critics argue the plan effectively endorses a slow euthanasia of entire territories, prioritizing cost-benefit analysis over long-term survival. The article by Stefano Monti challenges this utilitarian approach, advocating for integrated long-term investments in schools, housing, and jobs to revitalize depopulated areas. It suggests considering managed migration, international enterprise zones with tax incentives, and a shared political-cultural vision spanning 100 years. Monti emphasizes that economic analysis should not be treated as an oracle, and that innovation and long-term planning are essential. The piece concludes that the demographic crisis predates the current Meloni government and warns that without timely intervention, parts of Italy's future may be lost forever.