The negotiation, at the last mile, was long and very delicate. With the risk of skipping over every detail, even the signatures to be added to the text. But in the end the centre-right really tries to change the electoral law, as Giorgia Meloni herself had already made clear in January, and presents a reform of the Rosatellum to the Chamber and Senate with the declared objective of guaranteeing “governability” through a bonus, with a maximum ceiling of 60% of those elected, which allows for a “stable parliamentary majority”.
The reactions of the opposition and the «stabilicum» issue
So much so that some of the allies have already renamed it “stabilicum”. The text, around forty pages and three articles, was rejected as “inadmissible” and “unacceptable” by the Democratic Party even before being formally deposited. Which, however, is the only one among the opposition parties to lash out so vehemently against the majority project together with +Europa (a “scam” law “full of rubbish” according to Riccardo Magi).
Giuseppe Conte says that there would be other priorities (such as the minimum wage), so does Matteo Renzi while from Action the only voice is that of Osvaldo Napoli who points the finger at the absence of preferences. Giving voters the opportunity to indicate the names of those elected on the ballot, however, was one of the issues that most kept the agreement in the balance, reached only at night and after a river meeting of the center-right Sherpas – Giovanni Donzelli and Angelo Rossi for FdI, Alessandro Battilocchio and Stefano Benigni for FI, Andrea Paganella and Roberto Calderoli for the League, Alessandro Colucci for Noi Moderati – who remained closed on Wednesday in the historic headquarters of Brothers of Italy in via della Scrofa almost all day. In the evening it seemed difficult to be able to close, also because not all the leaders could easily be compared (also due to family reasons, they say) on the steps forward and backward at the table.
The comparison of preferences and the Prime Minister’s indication
The preferences, on which the League in particular would have blocked, in the end come out of the reform scheme but remain a concern of the prime minister and her party is already considering re-proposing the issue in the form of an amendment. While Forza Italia wins on the prime minister’s indication, having always been against writing it on the ballot. The name will be there, also with the (undeclared) intention of putting the center-left in difficulty, but in the program to be filed with the Interior Ministry together with the lists. In addition to preferences, there will also be no changes in the size of constituencies and constituencies, which were also discussed at the table.
Parliamentary process and objective of summer break
The process of the measure should start in the House. Almost none of the party experts sit on the Constitutional Affairs commission, which in Montecitorio is led by the Italian Nazario Pagano, but the idea would be to ask for replacements to follow the work closely.
The text, which cancels single-member constituencies in favor of a proportional system with a “governability bonus” for those exceeding 40%, was finally presented in the afternoon, while the prime minister received the Cypriot president at Palazzo Chigi, where the presence of the head of the Economy Giancarlo Giorgetti and also of Matteo Salvini (absent from the morning meeting of the Council of Ministers) was noted, who blesses the agreement as “well done” because “whoever wins can govern”. The proposal is signed in both houses of Parliament by the presidents of the groups and the group leaders in the committee.
But in the Chamber, where Benigni and Battilocchio have also signed up to the work of recent weeks for the Azzurri, there was a need for additional reflection because, they say, the Northern League member Molinari would have asked to read the text before adding his signature. “They are afraid of the referendum”, is another of the criticisms raised by the opposition front by Avs, but having weighed the repercussions on the electoral campaign, the centre-right, led by FdI, has nevertheless decided to break the deadlock, aiming to give an initial approval to the new voting system before the summer break.
“We are ready for dialogue with everyone to improve the text”, he assures, responding to the barrage of dem Donzelli (who last week was spotted talking to Elly Schlein in Transatlantico). Furthermore, the head of the FdI organization will call together the party’s parliamentary groups next week to explain the electoral reform in detail on 3 and 4 March.