Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed confidence on Tuesday that if the government’s contentious constitutional reform were to face a referendum, the ‘yes’ vote would prevail.
The proposed changes include the direct election of the premier by the Italian people. Meloni emphasised that the reform was carefully crafted, considering the sentiments of the majority of Italians and incorporating input from political forces, associations, and social partners.
The PM stated the proposal is now before parliament, where efforts will be made to secure a two-thirds majority. If unsuccessful, Meloni believes Italians will embrace the opportunity to usher Italy into the Third Republic, theoretically fostering a more mature, stable, and efficient democracy.
The current Italian system involves post-election negotiations among parties to form a government, with the ruling coalition proposing a figure for the presidency. This figure may not necessarily align with the politicians initially presented as premier candidates during the election.
The opposition Democratic Party (PD) has strongly criticised the proposed constitutional reform, labelling it as “dangerous” and asserting that it undermines parliament and the President of the Republic’s prerogatives. PD Secretary Elly Schlein denounced it as a “distortion of the Constitution and the parliamentary Republic,” pledging to utilise parliamentary tools to oppose what they consider a perilous project.
