La Bella has made a comparative study of Ombudsmen in Italy (Difensore civico) and in
France (Médiateur de la Republique and Délegués). He analyzes in deep the situation in the two countries from a historic, institutional and attitudal perspective. From a series of interviews conducted by the Author in Italy with a group of Difensori Civici, and in France with a comparable group of Délegués du Médiateur de la Republique, the Author has drawn some interesting considerations. The most important differences between the Italians and the French Ombudsmen seem to be found in the diversity of the institutional frameworks and of their backgrounds (more legalistic oriented, in the case of Italians), and in their self-perception of the role, seen as less political by the French, compared to the Italians.