Il Sole 24 Ore, 22 September 2026, p. 14
24 Ore NextMed — NATO’s southern front

‘The association of EU prefects looks south’

An interview with Ignazio Portelli
Prefect of Enna and President of AERTE
By Violetta Pepe

Founded more than thirty years ago as a joint French and Italian initiative, the European Association of State Territorial Representatives (AERTE) brings together prefects, governors and public officials from numerous European and Mediterranean countries. Its members meet to discuss shared challenges, from security and migration flows to climate emergencies and civil protection, exchanging experience and good practice developed in their respective territories. In recent years, the organisation has also extended its reach to the southern shore of the Mediterranean, involving representatives from North Africa and Türkiye. We spoke to Ignazio Portelli, Prefect of Enna and President of the association.

President Portelli, AERTE brings together representatives from very different administrative systems. What is the association’s mission?

‘Across almost all of Europe, public officials act as a link between central government and the regions, facilitating dialogue between local authorities and national governments. Their titles vary: prefects in Italy and France, voivodes in Poland, Fylkesmann in Norway, or walis in North African countries. But their function remains the same. AERTE gives them the opportunity to meet regularly to discuss common problems. Each country shares its experience and the solutions it has adopted.’

How has the role of state territorial representatives changed?

‘As international crises have intensified, exchanges between administrations have become even more important. We have discussed, for example, the consequences of the war in Ukraine with colleagues working in border areas. Another significant moment was the exchange following the devastating earthquake in Türkiye, when we shared our experience and operational approaches to emergency response.’

Security is an increasingly transnational challenge. What contribution do you make?

‘Mechanisms for cooperation between police forces and judicial authorities already exist. The contribution of state territorial representatives centres primarily on tackling poor governance at local level and the infiltration of public administrations by organised crime. Legal frameworks differ, however. In Italy, prefects have specific administrative powers, such as
placing an authority under the control of an extraordinary commissioner, whereas other countries prefer to refer matters to the ordinary courts. These exchanges are also extremely useful, as they allow us to understand different approaches and
identify the cultural factors underlying different institutional responses.’

An international conference entitled ‘Prefects in the Mediterranean, Mediterranean prefects?’ was
held in Nice…

‘The initiative grew out of the recognition that the Mediterranean faces common challenges, beginning with migration flows. AERTE works with a wider Euro-Mediterranean network that highlights both differences and shared features. In some countries, for example, state representatives remain in the same territory for long periods and come to identify closely with the local community; in others, they move between posts more frequently. Understanding these differences helps strengthen cooperation. A further meeting focusing on the Mediterranean region will take place in the Vendée in mid-October, with the aim of drawing up a series of targeted initiatives to address emerging tensions.’

Ignazio Portelli: Born in 1959 and specialising in regional law, Ignazio Portelli has been Prefect of Enna since January
this year.