Miti e realtà del finanziamento pubblico dei partiti, dodici anni dopo il d.l. n. 149/2013

The essay reconstructs the conditions of political party financing in Italy, twelve years after the abolition of direct public funding. In contrast to certain «myths» about the possible effects of public financing, numerous objective data reveal a reality of underfunded parties now deprived of structures adequate to fulfill their fundamental functions. The system of indirect public financing, mainly based on the «2 per mille» mechanism, also appears of questionable constitutional legitimacy and excessively favorable to parties already represented in Parliament. Today, public financing should neither be viewed as a remedy against political corruption nor as evidence of a cartel among political parties. A valid rationale for public financing can instead be found in the need to preserve political parties as indispensable infrastructure within a representative democracy. From this perspective, one might even conceive of a duty of the State to contribute to the functioning of political parties. However, this should not lead to a return to the past model of direct public funding, but rather encourage reform that enhances the essential functions of political parties and provides for purpose-specific financing, safeguarded by appropriate controls. The essay concludes by calling for the intervention of the Constitutional Court, which has so far remained outside this fundamental issue.