Abstract

The article analyses regional policies to fight poverty in four Northern Italian regions (Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto) as a case study to investigate the transformations of the Italian model of poverty after the 2008 economic crisis and the changes occurred at the regional level with the introduction of national minimum income. Through documentary analysis (normative sources and regional planning documents) and semi-structured interviews carried out with policymakers and experts, the article aims at answering three main research questions: how did the Regions react to the economic crisis of 2008 in terms of specific policies to fight poverty? What was the approach to tackling poverty in these Regions following the introduction of national minimum income schemes? What representations of poverty and risks of impoverishment did emerge from policy orientations and how have they been translated into concrete measures?