The Principle of Solidarity in the Italian Constitution

This article analyses the features of the principle of solidarity in the Italian legal system. It shows that in the Italian constitutional system the principle of solidarity is not directed towards the resolution of social conflict as such. Rather, the principle of solidarity – in combination with other principles – recognises, stabilises, and supports certain levels of conflict to the purposes of social integration via politicisation. After the introduction in section I, section II outlines the conceptual background of solidarity as a legal principle, recalling the most influential theoretical frameworks and the works of the Constituent Assembly in 1946-1947. Section III engages in a doctrinal analysis, exploring the personal and objective scope of application of the principle. Section IV, finally, offers an overview of the main applications of the principle in legislation and case law and concludes by referring to the spatial and temporal dimensions of solidarity.