The Mezzogiorno, as a whole, is still characterised by major structural weaknesses, meaning that there is a persistence of a «macro-question» regarding the territorial gap between Southern regions and the «strong» regions of Italy and Europe. Further risks for the South derive from EU enlargement to Eastern European countries and, more generally, from a growing competitiveness in the new scenario of integration and international globalisation. Within such a framework, the Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno aims, on the one hand, at responding to the needs of investigating both the analysis of the Southern situation, and the processes in progress at a national and international level, which involve the Mezzogiorno; on the other hand, it aims in this way to contribute to the cultural and political reflections intended to define both the contents and “guidelines” of a development strategy able to re-establish and relaunch Southern competitiveness. The Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno is one the journals selected by the American Economic Association (JEL on CD, e-Jel and EconLit).