Island autonomy
Sardinia has a special status conferred by a constitutional law dating from 1948. It has the power to legislate exclusively in certain areas (local government, urban planning, agriculture, industry and commerce, tourism, land transport, water and forestry, hunting and fishing) or to reinforce the state's legal arsenal in other areas (health, public assistance). It has significant financial autonomy and can withhold up to 70% of income tax, 90% of registration fees and 50% of inheritance tax. Sardinians elect their representatives to the regional council (legislative assembly) and the president of the region every five years. The executive is gathered in a regional junta. The last elections in 2019 were won by a broad center-right coalition led by the populist League party. Nevertheless, the regional president is the leader of the Sardinian Action Party, Christian Solinas. A dozen or so exclusively Sardinian parties occupy the spectrum of representation. They represent cultural and political sensitivities that range from a stronger regionalism to full independence. A recent survey conducted by the University of Cagliari shows that two thirds of the population feel Sardinian and Italian. This leads one to believe that the integration of Sardinia as an autonomous region within Italy suits the islanders.
The main resources
Sardinia has an ancient agricultural tradition. Agriculture, stockbreeding and fishing form the economic basis of the island. In some of its regions, plant nurseries and the cultivation of vines, olive trees and orchards stretch for miles. The region produces mainly durum wheat, rice and potatoes. Secondary crops include artichokes, cardoons, broad beans, endives, radishes and sugar beet. Livestock farming is of great importance and Sardinians are very attached to their herds. There are nearly a million goats and 4 million sheep grazing on the island's plateaus. To support this activity, the region receives many subsidies, especially in the eastern part of the island. The production of goat's milk and cheese is also encouraged. As for fishing, it is practiced mainly in the ponds and in the mouths of the rivers. Sea fishing, a practice brought by the Sicilians at the beginning of the 20th century, mainly takes tuna, squid, octopus and shellfish. Tourism is the second economic pillar of the island. It has been developing steadily since the 1960s, and really took off in the 1990s. The infrastructures - as much of reception as the methods of arrival on the island - multiplied. Sardinia welcomes 10 million visitors per year, 80% of whom visit the island in July and August. Among foreign visitors, German tourists are the most numerous, followed by Spanish and Russians. The beaches are popular with 95% of visitors, especially those on the Costa Smeralda and around Cagliari. The province of Sassari alone receives 50% of the tourists. As for heavy industry, the picture is much bleaker. For a long time, Sardinia lived off the exploitation of its mining resources. But this collapsed in the 1990s and today the mines are visited like archaeological relics. In the 1960s, the island took a gamble on the chemical industry and developed industrial zones, particularly in Porto Torres. But when the chemical sector collapsed for global reasons, Sardinia once again found itself struggling. Since then, it has invested massively in the renewable energy sector, particularly in wind power and photovoltaic energy.
Perspectives and issues
Politically, Sardinia seems to have found a stable consensus that shifts from center-left to center-right coalitions as elections come and go. Today, Sardinian politicians are mainly interested in getting rid of the intense Italian and NATO military presence, which has many large bases. But the major challenge remains the industrialization of the island to promote its development and reduce the unemployment rate in the long term. In 2021, the island had 14.7% of unemployed, compared to 10% on the national territory. But the rate soars when it comes to young people, reaching 45%. Agriculture is struggling to renew its archaic production model, which is not very profitable, and to set up irrigation systems that would make it possible to gain in surface area and productivity. As a result, the sector attracts few young people, despite the possibility of adding value to production by obtaining quality labels. Pecorino, olive oil and saffron have PDO labels. Tourism, with its highly seasonal activity, cannot alone absorb the surplus of Sardinian labor. The authorities are working to promote the historical and cultural potential of the island, by developing the many archaeological sites and important monuments (nuraghes and Romanesque churches in particular). Beyond the strict preservation of the heritage, the aim is to attract a more diversified clientele, likely to be interested in regions other than the coastal strip and ready to come outside the summer period. The Covid-19 pandemic shows that the Sardinian economy cannot rely almost solely on its tourism industry. The tourism industry has been hit hard by the first acute phase of the epidemic and it is too early to tell what the lasting effects will be. The Banca d'Italia, on the other hand, sees the development of renewable energies in a positive light. Less dependence on coal may not only reduceCO2 emissions, but also increase Sardinian productivity in the medium term. This will not be enough to balance the trade balance, which is largely in deficit and made up by national solidarity. The island imports much more than it exports, especially manufactured goods, and the lack of diversification of its economy can only reduce the independence ambitions of some.
