70 Italian regimes after World War II
“President straight-line like Buddha – Prime Minister of the majority party”
Prospects for constitutional amendment not bright due to opposition opposition
Italian Prime Minister Giorza Meloni (pictured), who tends to the far right, is trying to change the political system from the existing parliamentary system to a presidential one. Although Italy is the third largest country in the eurozone (20 countries that use the euro), many point out that political and social instability due to frequent regime changes.
According to Reuters, Prime Minister Meloni began discussing constitutional amendment with opposition parties on the 9th, saying, “We are faced with an important juncture to approve measures that can no longer be postponed for the sake of democracy.” Amending the presidential system was Prime Minister Meloni’s promise during the general election last September.
When Italy enacted the constitution in 1948 after its defeat in World War II, it put in place many devices to check and balance the power of the prime minister to prevent a dictator like Benito Mussolini (1922-1943) from appearing. As the Prime Minister’s authority was relatively small, the government changed frequently and political chaos intensified. Reuters reported that “Italy has had 70 regimes since World War II, more than twice that of Britain and Germany.”
Prime Minister Melonie is known to prefer the French-style dual government system, which combines elements of the cabinet system and the presidential system. The president is elected directly, but the leader of the parliamentary majority party serves as the prime minister to keep the president in check.
The prospects for constitutional amendment are not very bright. In order to amend the Constitution, two-thirds of the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives must vote in favor. The right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Meloni holds less than two-thirds of the seats in both the House and the Senate. If the parliament rejects it, a referendum remains. In 2016, then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi submitted a constitutional amendment to reduce the number of senators and strengthen central government power, but resigned when it was rejected.
The opposition parties, the Five Star Movement (M5S) and the Democratic Party (PD), are also negative. Giuseppe Conte, head of the Five Star Movement, said after a meeting with Prime Minister Meloni that day, “We did not come out with the same opinion.”
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.