The Italian parliament held a vote on Tuesday regarding constitutional reform, with 109 MPs in favor and 77 against. This initial step cleared the way for the reform to proceed, which centers around direct election of the Prime Minister for a five-year term. A majority bonus of 55 percent would be given to the party that receives the most votes, ensuring them a comfortable majority in both chambers.
After the vote, government parties celebrated while opposition leaders protested by symbolically holding up the constitution. The proposed constitutional reform aims to address political instability in Italy by allowing for direct election of the Prime Minister. However, many critics argue that this may result in too much power being concentrated in one person’s hands.
The bill to amend the constitution was approved by the Senate and will now be sent to the Chamber of Deputies for a vote. While it did not receive a two-thirds majority required to avoid a referendum on Tuesday, it is unlikely to receive one in the Chamber of Deputies either. This vote represents just an initial step towards final approval of this constitutional change.
In Italy, any constitutional amendment must receive a two-thirds majority in both chambers of parliament before it can become law. Failure to achieve this would result in putting this matter to a referendum. The right-wing government hopes that this reform will help address political instability in Italy, but many fear that it may only make things worse if not implemented properly.