Italy is at the forefront of the international scene with the Evaluation of Generational Impact (VIG), a regulatory instrument that transforms the protection of young people from abstract principle to state law. During the recent press point, the Minister for Institutional Reforms, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, explained how our country is the only one to have concretely implemented the 2024 “Patto per le futuro generations”, a commitment that has already obtained the recognition of the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, who called Italy a real “pioniere”.
The VIG is not a mere procedural fulfillment, but a profound change of cultural paradigm. The aim is to oblige the legislator to assess, during the formation of standards, the effects they will have on future generations, allowing young people to plan their future and to express their talents within the country. The practical application is already in advanced phase: the Observatory and the Consultation of Young People have been established, bodies that guarantee the direct involvement of new generations in decision-making, with the implementation process now close to the conclusion.
On the face of youthful discomfort and recent protests, the Minister reiterated the need for listening, distinguishing clearly between the expression of an idea – legitimate and part of democratic confrontation – and violence, which must be strongly condemned as it puts in danger public security and harms foreign citizens to demonstrations. The rules, in this context, also assume a pedagogical value, taking responsibility to look beyond the contingent to build a long-term perspective.
The Italian model is now the subject of global interest. The Ministra has announced a lectio magistralis at the University of Philadelphia, born after an international comparison that has seen involved academics and representatives of different nations, including Chile, Libya, the Arab Emirates and Argentina, all interested in understanding the system of normative simplification and the Italian VIG.
In closing, a reflection on contemporary society: the Minister highlighted a contradiction in the way we communicate. If on the one hand the internet allows a global “macro communication”, on the other there is a shortage of “micro interpersonal communication”, with the risk that the use of social media brings young people to close in a digital dimension, leaving them away from real dialogue with institutions, school and family.
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