Unlike what happened in Great Britain, in France the reflection on social economy has not been enhanced by politicians. In May 2010, in order to promote an economic system that may respect the environment and human beings, twelve of the most important representatives of Third Sector signed a call for mobilisation in view of the Estates-General of Social and Solidarity Economy (pouruneautreeconomie.fr). Non profit organisations and ordinary citizens wrote 400 “Cahiers d’espérances” (proposals for hope and progress). The suggestive name of these proposals brings to mind the well-known “Cahiers de doléances” (lists of grievances) drown up a few months before the outbreak of the French Revolution. These documents represented the starting point of the Estates-General held last June (17-18) in Paris at Palais Brogniart. But France continues to lag far behind what needs to be achieved in this sector. In order to promote social economy all over the country, the organisers of the Estates-General have undertaken a number of initiatives, such as the subscription of concrete commitments in consideration of next year’s elections. Currently, the Senior Council of Social Economy, presided by Roselyne Bachelot, Minister of Solidarities and Social Cohesion, is working on an outline law concerning Third Sector. But probably such a law will not come into the world before next year’s presidential elections. Up to now the most important measures in the field of social economy are those arising from the Vercamer Report, published in 2010 (minefe.gouv.fr). In France social economy produces between 7% and 8% of national GDP with more than two million employees.
Italy
In Italy social economy cannot find its place in Government’s plans. This is in sharp contrast with the activism that is now characterising Italian non profit institutions. Last year the Forum of Third Sector, which gathers more than eighty national organisations, published its “Green Paper” entitled “Le sfide dell’Italia che investe sul futuro” (The challenges of Italy that invests in its future). The Forum underlines the most critical aspects that private social sector has to face such as, for instance, the reluctance of public sector towards Third Sector, which sometimes is seen as a criminal subject (according to the Forum’s spokesman, Andrea Oliviero). In June the Agency of Third Sector published its “White Paper”, a very interesting document that, probably, will not be able to produce significant effects without Government’s involvement. Since 2001, when the “principle of subsidiarity” was introduced in the Italian Constitution, the debate on Third Sector has not gone any further, preserving its “academic” aura and producing a few remarkable results.
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