With Alessandra Todde's victory, the number of areas administered by the center-left increases to five. Sardinia joins Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Campania, and Puglia. It is a politically significant accomplishment for various reasons. Notably, Article 75 of the Constitution states that five regional councils may propose to the full electoral body "the repeal, in whole or in part, of a law or an act having the force of law". They can thus call a referendum without collecting the 500,000 signatures required when the proponents are political parties or citizen groups. The Regions have previously exercised this authority on multiple occasions. The last one took place two years ago, when nine regional councils with a center-right majority suggested a series of justice referendums. They demanded the repeal of the Severino law on ineligibility for candidacy following a conviction, the separation of magistrates' careers, the limitation of precautionary measures, the ability for lawyers to evaluate judges' work in judicial councils, and new procedures for CSM candidacies. The referendums were unsuccessful on June 12, 2022, due to the large-scale absence of Italian citizens from the polling places. Three decades prior, the repealing regions experienced more favorable outcomes when their proposition to disband the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment was rewarded by the popular vote. Today, Italy appears to be entering a period of significant reforms, ranging from the premiership to differentiated autonomy. And laws that reflect the identity justifications for the right. The opposition now has an additional weapon to counter or change them, as of Sunday.
|