Emma Bonino, historic Radical leader and former European commissioner, spokesperson for numerous battles together with Marco Pannella, sides in favor of the Yes in the constitutional referendum. Emma Bonino's Yes is a Yes on the merits, free from political brawls of any kind.
"I expressed myself in favor of the constitutional referendum" she declares, "as part of the government's commitment to complete that institutional reform project by effectively making the exercise of the referendum initiative possible". Emma Bonino, therefore, underlines the continuity of this constitutional reform with a history of civic engagement and social battles, such as that of the Radical Party and the entire associative galaxy of the movement.
Bringing the institutions closer to the citizens, therefore. This rapprochement necessarily passes through the lowering of the quorum for abrogative referendums - in the event that 800 signatures are collected - and for the introduction of new instruments of direct participation, such as the proposal referendum and the address referendum.
Emma Bonino declared that "there was a profound unity on the initiatives that the Radicals, first of all Riccardo Magi, have been carrying out on this issue for some time - referring to the subject of the referendum consultations, ed - " and that, during the XV Congress of Radicals Italians, the proposal has been made to draw up a "Referendum act", i.e. an instrument through which the referendum process can be truly simplified, allowing citizens to make their voices heard more easily.
The common thread linking this battle to the constitutional reform is evident. Lowering the quorum and introducing new participatory tools, hitherto unknown to our constitutional system, necessarily make the prize with the simplification of the procedure for promoting the referendum, starting with the collection of signatures.
The constitutional reform, according to Emma Bonino, must constitute the first piece of a much larger mosaic, which makes it easier "for movements that do not have the resources of large parties or trade unions" to make their voices heard. The constitutional reform must be considered the prerequisite for another social battle, for the rights of everyone and everyone. We have already had occasion to say that this reform is the reform of all Italians, of the 600 signatures that have been collected by the volunteers who are mobilizing for the appointment on 4 December. But this reform is also something more, it is the starting point, the first step of a path of profound renewal of our country. But you know, the first step is always the hardest.
