The Government aims to reintroduce the election by universal and direct suffrage of the presidents of the Provinces and Provincial Councils, overcoming the second-level election system introduced by the Delrio law of 2014. This is what Article 3 of the draft draft delegation bill, composed of 12 articles, for the revision of the Consolidated Law on Local Authorities (TUEL) would provide, which entrusts the executive with twelve months to rewrite the regulations for local authorities. The reform, of 12 articles, would provide for the return of the three provincial bodies: president, council and council, with a five-year mandate.
The election will be contextual and direct: the presidential candidate who obtains at least 40% of the valid votes will be elected in the first round, with a majority prize that assigns at least 60% of the seats to the winning coalition. Gender preferences and access thresholds for the allocation of seats are also foreseen. Article 4 instead aims to redefine the functions of Municipalities, Provinces and metropolitan cities, recognizing the Provinces with a more incisive role in wider area activities, also through the transfer of functions currently entrusted to other bodies and organisations. The indicated objective is a division of skills based on effectiveness, efficiency and responsibility towards communities.
De Luca: “Stop nominations, our battle espoused by the centre-right”
“We welcome the Government’s change of pace on overcoming the Delrio Law and the return to the direct election of the Provinces, a theme that has always been central and identifying for our movement”. Cateno De Luca, leader of Mayors of Italy – South calls North, says so. “Finally – he comments – the Democratic Party rule is cancelled, which had reduced territorial bodies into useless caravans, with nominees, taking away citizens’ ability to choose their own representatives: the provinces, on the other hand, are the intermediate instrument between Municipalities and Regions. For us they must be well functioning and left to the choices of the voters”.
According to Cateno De Luca, “doing politics seriously, with content and a straight back, leads to concrete results. When we say that there are some political forces – he continues – who fear preferences, that of the provinces is a concrete example. These bodies – adds the mayor of Taormina – must return to being living bodies, with bodies chosen directly by the citizens: president and council and with a five-year mandate based on clear rules of representation and functions of a vast area. The territories need answers, efficiency and, above all, representatives chosen from below by popular vote”.
“The national agreement that we concluded with the centre-right – explains De Luca – is demonstrating all its effectiveness, finally placing the historical battles of our movement at the center of the political agenda. We have always believed in it, when others were dizzy. Now the facts prove us right”.