There should be 100 senators, of which 95 are representatives of the territorial institutions and five who "may be nominated by the President of the Republic". This is foreseen by one of the amendments filed by the speakers, Anna Finnocchiaro (Pd) and Roberto Calderoli (Lega) to the bill on institutional reforms in the Constitutional Affairs commission of the Senate.
The proposed amendment provides that there will be 74 senators elected by the regional councils from among their members "in proportion to their composition". No region can have fewer than three senators: only Molise, Valle d'Aosta and the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano will have one.
The division of seats among the Regions is carried out "in proportion to their population". The other 21 senators will be elected among the mayors of the Region (one for each Region). The term of office, the amendment provides, "coincides with that of the bodies of the territorial institutions in which they were elected". The discipline of the "election methods" is delegated to a law approved by both Chambers.
