The cabinet of Premier Matteo
Renzi decided Monday a national referendum over whether to
accept or reject the government's constitutional reform law will
be held December 4.
The reform has already been approved by parliament, but
Italy's Constitution says any laws amending the Charter must be
ratified by popular referendum if they were approved by less
than a two-thirds majority in each house of parliament.
Premier Matteo Renzi has staked his political credibility
on pushing the reform through and could quit if he loses the
referendum on the revamp of the country's political machinery,
which includes reducing the Senate into a leaner assembly of
local-government representatives with limited powers to cut
costs and streamline Italy's notoriously ponderous method of
passing legislation.
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