The Senate on Wednesday approved
Article 21 of the government's Constitutional reform bill, which
changes the way the president of the Republic is elected. The
motion passed with 161 in favor, three nays and five abstaining.
Senators from the rightwing, anti-immigrant Northern League
party walked out before voting began.
"You trampled on the rules and transformed the future
Senate into a motel for politics. You're killing democracy,"
League Senate whip Gianmarco Centinaio said.
Senators from the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S)
boycotted the vote, while remaining in the chamber.
Also in the opposition, the small leftwing Left Ecology and
Freedom (SEL) party said after the vote that it is withdrawing
all its amendments to the bill, except for one to Article 33.
"There is absolutely no sign on the part of the majority of
wanting to understand our reasons," said SEL Senate whip
Loredana De Petris.
"There is a feeling of frustration. There's no point
wearing ourselves out to make you understand some changes were
necessary".
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