Italy’s future prime minister could be directly elected by the people if a constitutional reform bill presented on Monday by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government as part of her election promise to usher in a ‘third republic’ is signed into law.
At a government summit on Monday, Meloni and her ministers agreed that the constitutional reform bill, finalised by Institutional Reforms Minister Maria Elisabetta Casellati (Forza Italia/EPP), will reach the Council of Ministers on Friday, after which it will be sent to parliament.
“We have on our shoulders a historic responsibility: to consolidate the democracy of alternation and finally accompany Italy, with the constitutional reform that this government intends to carry out, into the Third Republic”, said Meloni (Fratelli d’Italia/ECR).
The bill, which aims to ensure government stability and create a stronger link between the people’s vote and the formation of the government, provides for a directly elected prime minister, as well as a law that would give the winning coalition or party 55% of the seats in parliament, making it easier for its laws to be passed.
Under the proposed bill, it would also be possible to rebuild a majority with the same prime minister or another member of the same majority in case a government falls. Voters would only have to return to the polls in case attempts to rebuild a coalition are unsuccessful, though it would only be possible to replace the prime minister once.
At the same time, the reform bill does not address the potential role of the president, although Casellati assures that he would retain his powers, including the power to appoint ministers on the advice of the prime minister, but would no longer appoint the prime minister.
Most parties favour the need for change, particularly to ensure government stability, though the opposition left-wing parties, the Democratic Party (S&D) and Action (Renew), prefer a German-style chancellorship with a prime minister who is not directly elected but who would have the power to appoint ministers.
“The premiership does not work; it does not exist in any Western country. It destroys the balance of power between the president of the Republic and the prime minister. To make a long story short, it cannot be done, and for us, there is no possible negotiation if Meloni’s majority insists on this path”, Action leader Carlo Calenda (Renew) told La Repubblica.
(Federica Pascale | Euractiv.it)
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