From Europe to the Street. Challenges in the Multilevel Governance of Welfare Reforms Introduced Under the Recovery and Resilience Facility

This contribution examines the coordination mechanisms across European, national, local and street levels within the governance of welfare reforms introduced under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). It uses Italy as a case study and focuses on the field of active labour market policies (ALMP), where a systemic reform was introduced with the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The research examines how renewed multilevel governance frameworks develop and how related dynamics unfold through policy implementation phases. Based on a broad analysis of European and national documentation, alongside interviews with key policy stakeholders, the study reveals an informal rescaling of power despite the largely unchanged formal distribution of competences. Traditionally, ALMPs have been under national jurisdiction, but the implementation of RRF-driven reforms indicates a shift in control towards supranational authorities, particularly the European Commission, which plays a key role in approving and monitoring these reforms. Within Italian national borders, this informal rescaling takes the form of increased centralisation, with the introduction of central policy directives in a system historically known for its decentralised and regionally driven policies. This centralisation seeks to ensure the achievement of performance targets tied to the RRF reform, but it also exerts considerable pressure on local and street-level actors responsible for delivering these measures. Ethnographic research conducted in three Italian public employment offices reveals the challenges faced by local service organisations in meeting the demands stemming from this integrated multilevel governance framework.