Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni opens the table of constitutional reforms, hearing the oppositions and specifying that we need to find an institutional system that strengthens the stability of governments but which has no preferential option, i.e. neither semi-presidentialism nor the prime ministership. However, Meloni thinks that the Presidency of the Council must be strengthened without ruling out direct elections. On the latter hypothesis Meloni found the first openings of the Third Pole, which has always been in favor of the model of the Mayor of Italy, that is, the strengthening of the premier through his possible direct election. On the contrary, both the secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, and the secretary of the Five Stars, Giuseppe Conte, said they were available to discuss constitutional reforms but excluding a priori both semi-presidentialism and the premiership. But here are the details of the merse positions.
Renzi (Iv): "We are for the premiership and we are discussing the reforms with Meloni"
Matteo Renzi, was not present at the meeting, but had already made it known in the morning that he was open to the premier's proposals. "I say to Meloni: go ahead, we are in the prime ministership even if the others are not and we will be correct with you unlike what the right did with our reforms". The leader of Italia viva says so in an interview with La Stampa, stating that an elected prime minister "absolutely does not delegitimize the president of the republic". The goal of Italy alive it is clear: electing the “Mayor of Italy” and the “overcoming of perfect bicameralism”.
Meloni trying to make one reform of the Constitution "It's doing very well," says the former prime minister. “Of course there are other priorities too, but constitutional reforms are needed,” Renzi underlines. “The truth is that today the powers of the Quirinale on paper are infinite. If you study the quibbles, you discover that we already live in a situation of potential semi-presidentialism. The countersignature is a constitutional obligation on practically everything – Renzi reiterates -. I fondly remember Giorgio Napolitano, who told me that the only act that the prime minister did not have to countersign was the resignation of the President of the Republic”.
Conte (M5S): "More powers to the Prime Minister but without premiership or semi-presidentialism"
The 5-star Movement opened the long day of confrontation between the government and the opposition. The pentastellato leader Giuseppe Conte, who, while emphasizing the need to strengthen the prime minister, reiterated "no to any form of direct election", instead opening up the possibility of setting up "an ad hoc commission" to overcome the problems. But the meeting "did not share solutions".
“We are for sensible solutions and also for a strengthening of the premier's powers but in a balanced framework, – continued Conte – which does not mortify the parliamentary model. And the function of the President of the Republic is very important to us, which is a guarantee and serves national cohesion, he has a key role".
Conte then specified that the M5S presented 11 proposals, including that "to avoid shirt changes and to promote the strengthening of proactive referendums". To then conclude: "It seems to us a contradiction to pursue a project of differentiated autonomy that empties government functions in favor of the Regions and then strengthen the powers and prerogatives of the central government".
Calenda (Action): "A premier with more powers, but the Head of State does not touch himself"
Confirmed the opening of the delegation of Action and Italia Viva, together as Third Pole groups despite the recent break on the formation of the single party. “We are available to collaborate for the obvious reason that we too share the need for greater government stability and the need for greater efficiency of the overall apparatus. There is a possible collaboration for us”, the leader of Action told the Chamber, Carlo Calenda. But with a fixed point: "For us there is an absolute red line, the figure of guarantee, of national unity, on the Constitution, of the President of the Republic cannot be touched".
The gist is: "a prime minister with more powers, a single chamber, a discussion of everything that works and doesn't work of federalism, and of the President of the Republic who remains the guarantor of the Constitution and national unity".
“I found a listening premier, ready for dialogue”. Carlo Calenda said as he left Palazzo Montecitorio. “Now we will listen to the positions of the other oppositions and make a point with them. It seems logical and normal to me ”, concluded the leader of Action. Instead, she intervened on behalf of Italia Viva Mary Helen Woods: "A reform of the form of government cannot be separated from the overcoming of bicameralism".
Schlein (PD): "Constitutional reforms are not the country's priority"
Closes this whirlwind of meetings the Democratic Party. At the conclusion of the first face-to-face meeting between the prime minister and the dem secretary, Elly Schlein clarifies the position of the Democratic Party: “This discussion is not the country's priority. The priorities are work, health, Pnrr, climate, young people, home". As for institutional reforms, "no to presidentialism or premiership, because they would weaken Parliament". But on one point the dem secretary agrees with the other parties: the figure of the head of state cannot be touched. "We are not in favor of downsizing the role of the President of the Republic towards a model of a single man or woman in command", Schlein underlined at the end of the discussion on constitutional reforms with the Meloni government.
The reform that Elly Schlein has in mind is more inspired by model of the German Chancellorship, with the introduction of the constructive mistrust which “would avoid crises in the dark. We have posed the need to limit the emergency decree, the issue of strengthening referendum institutions and popular initiative laws, lowering the quorum, also signing digitally". Furthermore, "we have raised the issue of the full application of article 49, and a law on conflict of interest".
To continue the discussion on institutional reforms "we asked" the government for "a moratorium on differentiated autonomy which is proceeding by bypassing Parliament and the territories". And, finally, "the parliamentary form must be improved, not outdated".
Meloni in search of "the broadest possible dialogue"
“Two essential objectives: the stability of governments and legislatures and respect for citizens' votes in the polls. On these objectives we have started discussions with the opposition forces to understand if there is convergence on the objectives and understand among the many possible systems on which one can converge. We have not proposed a pre-packaged solution”. The Prime Minister said so Giorgia Meloni, at the end of the day of confrontation with the opposition on constitutional reforms. “I recorded a fairly transversal closure on presidential or semi-presidential model systems, while more varied positions on the direct election of the head of government. We are not in love with a specific system”. And again, “it is very important that there is sharing, but not at the cost of failing in the commitment undertaken with the citizens. Now let's try to develop our own proposal. We are imagining an Italian model”, concluded the premier.
