The reform of the premiership would “leave” to the President of the Republic “the tasks that the founding fathers wanted”, reducing those that the heads of state over time “have deservedly had to expand to make up for the shortcomings of politics”, those “not strictly provided for by the Constitution”. The President of the Senate said it, Ignazio La Russaduring the end-of-year greeting ceremony with the parliamentary press.
PD on the attack: “The President of the Senate throws off his mask, the real target is Mattarella”
“Today the President of the Senate and founder of Fratelli d’Italia, Ignazio La Russa, threw away the mask and indicated what the true objective of the reform of the premiership is: to reduce the current powers of the President of the Republic, despite the vast majority of Italians, as the polls show, has repeatedly demonstrated that he has full confidence in the Quirinale’s actions.
All the more reason therefore to oppose in Parliament and if necessary with the referendum the prime ministership in a Melonian style, certainly not designed to respond to Italy’s needs, but rather to demolish the parliamentary republic to its foundations and try to limit the institutional action of Mattarella, constantly anchored in full respect for the balances enshrined in our Constitution”. This was stated by Federico Fornaro, member of the Constitutional Affairs Commission of the Chamber and exponent of the Democratic Party.
La Russa’s rejoinder: “Total respect for Mattarella is clear”
«It’s my fault that I always forget that when we talk about reforms we need to be careful of those who don’t understand due to constitutional illiteracy or those who pretend not to understand due to inveterate bad faith. Today all the journalists present at the Scaldino ceremony understood well, I believe, my words on the future constitutional reform project which does not modify the powers of the President of the Republic. The total respect towards President Mattarella is as obvious as it is clear.” The president of the Senate Ignazio La Russa said this in a note after criticism from the opposition. «In any case – adds La Russa – here are my words spoken today: ‘I believe that the constitutional powers are not affected in the slightest. That is, none of the articles on the powers of the President are changed. It can be said: there is now a material Constitution that gives the President broader powers than what the Constitution originally provided for. And a direct election of the Prime Minister could reduce the constant use of these additional powers. Don’t delete them, resize them. Maybe. But it would be an act of health for our Constitution, not an act of weakness. Because it would leave to the President of the Republic those tasks that the founding fathers largely wanted and which he deservedly had to expand – I mean the President; but it means the Presidents – over time, to make up for political deficiencies, including those of the need for politics to defend itself from the too short duration of governments”.