Text on Provinces, opposition announces barricades and center-right splits
The reform that would reintroduce direct elections in the former Provinces is already dividing the majority and putting the opposition on guard, ready to take to the barricades. Even during the majority summit, Fratelli d’Italia had raised doubts about the constitutionality of the bill, given that in Rome the law that provides for Free Consortia and Metropolitan Cities instead of Provinces is still in force. Today, it was the Five Star Movement that raised the same concerns: “The attempt by the center-right is fanciful – Martina Ardizzone begins – first of all because the reform under consideration would be unconstitutional. And then because they have been talking about it for two years without making any progress and now they want to approve it in two weeks or so.” If it is not approved by November 25, it would be impossible to stop the electoral process for the second level elections (those involving only mayors and municipal councilors) already scheduled for December 15 by a decree of Renato Schifani. For Ardizzone “the center-right is trying this path only to avoid the divisions that were already emerging within it on lists and mayoral candidates and to give space to the political undergrowth that would like to run for the Provincial elections”. Both the Five Star Movement and the Democratic Party, with group leader Michele Catanzaro, announce barricades in the chamber. But doubts are also raining down in the center-right. For the MEP and former councilor Marco Falcone, also of Forza Italia, trying to approve this law would be a mistake: “We are concerned about the Province issue because we fear that sudden or hasty turns may result in a new poor figure. We would be faced with another, inexplicable, nothing done. Also, the Constitutional Court, it is worth remembering, has repeatedly criticized the repetition of commissioner appointments. We are the only Region in Italy not to vote for the Provinces, even with second-level elections. Despite appreciating the good intentions regarding the restoration of direct elections, I fear that everything could be resolved into a dilatory tactic”. Falcone refers to the similar law that was rejected by the Ars a year ago due to the votes of the dissidents. “The common perception – Falcone added – is that, due to incomprehensible palace games, someone wants to prevent the Sicilian Provinces from having a political leadership that finally offers answers to many emergencies. Until a few weeks ago, in many Italian provinces, voting was done with the second level system. It’s not ideal, we have always said it, but Sicily can more easily implement it by December, filling the serious representation deficit. When the Meloni government has repealed the Delrio law, direct voting can take place. But, until then – concluded MEP Falcone – moving forward with commission appointments, or even worse with risky challengeable regulations, would only result in a dilatory tactic, as well as risky”. Also, criticism from Italia Viva. For Davide Faraone, “just this morning at the Chamber we are voting on the amendment to the constitutional law on the Statute of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region, for the restoration of direct elections of the Province presidents. Someone should explain to me why, in Sicily, also a region with a special statute, can proceed with a reform and even with the vote for the provincial presidents next spring, with only the vote of the Ars and without a passage in the national Parliament. We are in the hands of reckless amateurs, who think one thing one day, the opposite the next day, not taking into account the respect for institutions and constitutional procedures. If a reform in this sense were to be approved at the Ars and elections were to be held, an extremely illegitimate path would be practiced. Our territorial institutions would be condemned to chaos for the next few years. It would be irresponsible. Schifani and the majority will have to take responsibility for it”. But the League does not agree: “Davide Faraone’s statements regarding the work of the Ars are false: nothing new, we are used to his nonsense. The question, however, is: does he not know the statute of the Sicilian Region or is he, once again, in bad faith, instrumentalizing? The Ars is working on a bill for direct elections of the provinces, it is not making any changes to the statute that already provides for free consortia. I advise Faraone to study before speaking emptily again”, said the Sicilian senator and regional commissioner of the League Nino Germanà, vice president of the Group at Palazzo Madama.
Il testo sulle Province, l’opposizione annuncia barricate e il centrodestra si spacca
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