The Italian government has recently passed two major reforms: one concerning the modification of the premiership, and the other the introduction of “differentiated autonomy” for regions. The premierato reform involves changes to four articles of the Constitution, including the powers of the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic. Under this reform, the Prime Minister will be elected for a maximum of two terms lasting five years each, and will have the authority to appoint and dismiss ministers. The President of the Republic will lose the power to appoint lifetime senators, and the formation of technical governments will be prohibited.
On the other hand, the Autonomia differenziata reform does not affect the constitutionality of the Italian state, but rather modifies the Title V of the Constitution to grant regions more legislative powers. Each region will have the authority to legislate on a total of 23 matters, although the determination of minimum performance levels (Lep) will remain consistent across the country. Despite not being a constitutional law, this reform has sparked controversy and opposition parties have announced plans to collect signatures for a referendum to repeal the reform.
The premierato reform has been passed already in the first reading in the Senate, but will require two additional parliamentary readings before it can be fully approved, with at least three months between each vote. Should the law pass with a simple majority rather than the two-thirds majority, a consultative referendum without a quorum would be required. The aim of this reform is to strengthen the role of the Prime Minister and streamline the government’s decision-making processes by giving the Prime Minister more authority in appointing and dismissing ministers.
In contrast, the Autonomia differenziata reform aims to decentralize power from the central government to the regions, granting them more autonomy in legislative matters. This reform is controversial as it raises concerns about potential disparities between regions in terms of legislation and administration, and could lead to further fragmentation within the country. Critics argue that this reform could undermine national unity and create inequalities between regions, prompting calls for a referendum to repeal the reform.
Overall, both reforms represent significant changes to the Italian political landscape, with the premierato reform focusing on strengthening the role of the Prime Minister and the Autonomia differenziata reform seeking to decentralize power to the regions. While the premierato reform has already progressed in the parliamentary process, the Autonomia differenziata reform is met with opposition and calls for a referendum. It remains to be seen how these reforms will impact the Italian political system and the balance of power between the central government and the regions in the years to come.
