La rivista è stata digitalmente editata il 21/02/2026.
The issue became available online on February 21st, 2026.
Editoriale
Leading article
di Bruno Maria Bilotta
Vecchie e nuove sfide per la sicurezza energetica. Alcune considerazioni a margine
Old and new challenges in energy security. Some side remarks
di Alessio Bellè
Abstract: Energy Security (ES), once limited to resource availability and supply stability, has now taken on a multidimensional and interdisciplinary scope. In an international context marked by repeated crises, ecological transition, and rising digitalization, it integrates aspects of justice, sustainability, resilience, and sovereignty. This contribution analyses the evolution of the concept, highlighting how contemporary uncertainties are no longer solely geopolitical but also include market instability, environmental disasters, technological vulnerabilities, and socio-economic inequalities. On the path toward decarbonization, energy security emerges as a strategic approach for proposing an equitable, secure, and reasonable supply, and an attempt to guide public policies toward a more stable, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable future.
Keywords: Energy Security, Energy Policy, Decarbonization, Geopolitical
Risk, Energy Transition
A State of Art of the Italian and Dutch public policies on prostitution: yesterday, today, and tomorrow
di Alessandro Corti
Abstract: This contribution offers a comparative analysis of prostitution policies in Italy and the Netherlands, highlighting contrasting national approaches shaped by cultural and historical influences. The Italian policy, rooted in moral abolitionism, is based on the 1958 Merlin Law, which decriminalized prostitution while criminalizing third-party profiteering. However, this approach led to unregulated and unsafe contexts for sex workers, increasing their vulnerability to exploitation and violence. In contrast, the Netherlands adopted a pragmatic approach, legalizing and regulating prostitution in 2000 to ensure sex workers’ rights and safety. Despite the efforts, the Dutch model faced challenges such as organized crime infiltration and a lethal economic burden on smaller brothels due to strict bureaucracy. In parallel, both countries experienced recent shifts in public discourse, influenced by the Swedish Model, advocating for the criminalization of clients. Nonetheless, the need for comprehensive social support systems, balanced regulations, evidence-based justice approaches and destigmatization initiatives to address the complexities of the phenomenon must be emphasized. Regular policy evaluations involving stakeholders would then enhance adaptability to social changes. The findings underline the multidimensional nature of prostitution policies shaped by legal, socio-cultural and political dynamics. In conclusion, a human rights-based approach able to prioritize safety and empowerment is crucial for the well-being of sex workers.
Keywords: Prostitution Policy, Criminalization, Regulation, Legalization,
Merlin Law, Dutch Tolerance, Sex Workers’ Rights, Human Trafficking,
Human Rights.
Magistratura e potere
Judiciary and power
di Enrico Damiani di Vergada Franzetti
Abstract: The exercise of power, effectively reconciling the conflict between the principles of independence and democratic accountability of judicial institutions, considered collectively and individually, constitutes one of the principal themes and problems of contemporary democratic-constitutional systems. This aspect is connected to the ongoing tensions arising not only from the exercise of power, in its structuring and destructuring capacity, delegated to the judiciary, but also from the normative-reductive, identity-attributing nature of the legislative provisions governing the role and functions of the judiciary. It is necessary to highlight the general and specific mechanisms underlying the exercise of power, understood as the ability of individuals or groups to implement a plan of action within a social context, in order to identify possible solutions capable of counterbalancing its exercise, even when legitimately delegated to institutions, including the judiciary.
Keywords: Judiciary, power, conflict, balance, legal sociology,
determinacy, indeterminacy
Redefining the “terrologist” for a proper management of dual climate-social issues. The critical need for new and qualified experts in a changing world
di Francesco D’Amico, Antonio Dimartino
Abstract: In a world characterized by the paradox of unprecedented advances in climate science on the one hand, and high degrees of skepticism towards anthropogenic climate change on the other, the need for a new figure, or expert, arises. Conventional scientists and entire disciplines struggle against climate change denial, while the effects of climate change itself need to be faced and managed in a way that goes beyond the current framework of expertise in the standardized field. Via an evaluation of current challenges and future perspectives, this work redefines the term “terrologist” to introduce a new, ideal expert with a background in climate and social sciences, capable of resolving at a local scale the challenges posed by the phenomenon. The same expert would also be able to offer solutions at much broader scales, possibly beyond the boundaries of countries and their legal systems. These challenges are not to be underestimated, as they threaten the economy and the integrity of society as a whole: a mismanagement of climate-related actions may in fact exacerbate social conflict and deepen the ongoing crisis. The description of this new role highlights the importance of social science involvement in topics normally restricted to climate sciences and its multiple branches, and calls for more cooperation between multiple fields.
Keywords: Terrologist, climate change, social sciences, environmental
regulations.
Aspetti socioculturali e rilievi giuridici dei fenomeni di devianza digitale
Sociocultural aspects and legal remarks on phenomena of digital deviance
di Michelangelo Pascali, Gaia Di Girolamo
Abstract: The pervasive dissemination of a deviant imaginary within social networks of various generational origins necessitates a thorough examination of the intricate relationship between legal interpretation and social perception of the acts that materialise it. Starting from procedural issues concerning criminal jurisdiction, from the perspective of the Italian legal system, with regard to the relevant content, as well as their admissibility in investigative proceedings, it is essential to question the existence of actual criminal relevance, even in light of social mechanisms of acceptance and rejection that may influence the interpretation of the defining elements of the matter at hand. In the context of the phenomena under examination, which intersect with the multifaceted domains of cybercrime, it is essential to identify which theoretical frameworks may facilitate comprehension of their origins and consequences. Furthermore, it must be recognised that these phenomena implicate the relationships – both existing and potential – between institutional public entities and private economic actors in terms of the regulation and oversight of content disseminated through digital platforms. Finally, various forms of social media-based displays and expressions that exhibit pro-criminal tendencies must be analysed in consideration of the constitutional limitations imposed on the right to freedom of expression.
Keywords: cybercrime, criminal jurisdiction, deviant imaginary, freedom
of expression, social networks.
L’impegno sociale di Giulia Colbert di Barolo dalla tutela dei diritti delle donne all’imprenditoria enologica
Giulia Colbert di Barolo’s engagement in favor of women’s rights and wine entrepreneurship
di Simonetta Ronco
Abstract: Giulia Falletti di Barolo, née Colbert, a descendant of the Colbert who created the modern French Navy during the time of the Re Sole, lived between the 18th and 19th centuries, and many people owe her a great deal. Giulia could have led a quiet life, after the tribulations her family had endured due to the French Revolution, but once she arrived in Turin as the young wife of Marquis Tancredi Falletti di Barolo, she decided to get involved, starting with the prison system: she was the driving force behind prison reform, organized schools for poor girls, established one of the first kindergartens in her palace, and carried out a host of other charitable initiatives. She also promoted the excellence of her region, encouraging the cultivation of the famous Barolo grape and supporting the families of farmers. The cause for her and her husband Tancredi Falletti’s beatification is underway.
Keywords: Giulia Colbert, Tancredi Falletti di Barolo, French Revolution,
prison reform, welfare, charity, nursery schools, viticulture, Barolo,
beatification.