OPINIONI
Italy catches referendum fever
This month Italy joined the swathe of political uncertainty spreading across Europe. Compared to the high-stake drama of the Catalonia and Brexit examples, the regional ballots for greater autonomy in Lombardy and Veneto on October 22nd were relatively untroubling, given that they were both legal and non-binding. With most opposed voters staying at home, the results showing 98% of voters in favour in Venice and 95% in Lombardy need to be heavily qualified by the low turn-out rates, 57% and 38% respectively. Nevertheless, the 5 million turnout overall evidences growing impatience in the northern regions, primarily stemming from a feeling that the high GDP generating North loses the money its citizens pay in tax to the less well-off south. According to the regional governments of Lombardy and Veneto, their combined annual fiscal deficit with the rest of Italy is more than €70bn, 8% of national government spending. If in fact the two regions were to achieve greater autonomy and more extensive powers to keep the taxes collected there, the impact on the south could be significant. No imminent changes are on the horizon however, and although the central government is claimed to have agreed to talks Rome is under no obligation to reach an agreement, and any deal would require approval by both chambers of the national legislator.
– source: The Economist
A new voting law for Italy, but trepidation remains amid election predictions
After a bumpy journey through parliament, the Senate approved new electoral law on October 26th, balancing rules for both houses of parliament. A first-past-the-post basis will apply to the election of about 30% of members of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house. The remainder will be elected by proportional representation and only parties with more than 3% of the national vote (10% for electoral alliances) will be admitted to parliament.
In recent years, the popularity of Beppe Grillo’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) has successfully rocked the political boat. Having so far refused to ally with any other parties, M5S has forced every government since the 2013 general election into an awkward centre-left and right representative partnership. This has unsurprisingly hampered the passing of economic (and other) reforms that Italy sorely craves.
Despite the reform, predictions for the next election remain a concern. According to a simulation by Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra, a Renzi-led alliance of the left would still only win 197 of the 630 seats in the Chamber. A united right would also fall short, as would even a ‘grand coalition’ of the PD and Forza Italia. And, if this isn’t food for thought, the projected combination that would get nearest to a parliamentary majority was ‘a pact between the anti-immigrant League, the M5S and a small party founded by heirs of the neo-fascist movement’. Still hungry?
– source: The Economist