The provinces that, according to the new law on local autonomies, should be abolished because they have less that 200 thousand inhabitants, according to Istat on the 2009 data, are : Vercelli (180.111 inh.) in Piemonte, Isernia (88.895 inh.) in Molise, Fermo (176.488 inh.) in Marche and Vibo Valentia (167.334 inh.) in Calabria. The other three provinces that have less than 200 inhabitants but still in doubt because with 50% of mountainous territory are Biella and Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in Piemonte and Crotone in Calabria.

Translated by Chiara Nunnari from John Milton Institute