The ruling majority backing
Premier Matteo Renzi's executive on Wednesday presented a
request for a referendum to ratify the government's recently
approved law changing the Constitution to overhaul Italy's
political machinery. Renzi has staked his political future on
the October referendum on reforms to make government cheaper and
easier. Among other things, it transforms the Senate into a
leaner assembly of local-government representatives with fewer
powers. The referendum request was presented by Mauro Del Barba,
the Senate treasurer for Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party
(PD), said Roberto Calderoli, one of the deputy speakers of the
Upper House. The ruling coalition's Senate whips, the PD's Luigi
Zanda, Renato Schifani for the centrist AP and Karl Zeller of
the AUT group, have been tasked with delivering the signatures
needed for a referendum to the supreme Court of Cassation.
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