Expansión de la criminalidad organizada (CO) en las regiones Centro-Norte de Italia: un estudio de caso

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative analysis on the causes of the emergence of OC in Central-Northern Italian regions during the year 2021. We pose the following research question: what contextual conditions explain to us the expansion of mafias in some Italian regions and not in others during 2021? Two hypotheses are proposed: a low institutional quality of public administrations on the one hand, and the conjuncture of a high economic development and a dependence on public spending due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the other hand. The csQCA technique is used to analyze 12 regions. The results of the analysis confirm the hypotheses put forward. These results allow us to warn that the incidence of OC will most likely follow an increasing trend in the country. The fight against the mafia is an ongoing battle and awareness is essential to combat it.