Italy's regions on Friday called on
the government to table a discussion on the possibility of
removing the existing two-mandate limit to allow governors to
serve three consecutive terms in office after a proposal by the
League to this effect was thrown out in the Senate.
In a letter sent by the Friuli Venezia Giulia governor and
president of the Conference of Regions Massimiliano Fedriga to
Regional Affairs Minister Roberto Calderoli, the regions
stressed the need "to start a constructive and collaborative
confrontation with the government".
They are also asking for the number of elected councillors in
small regions to be increased to ensure party representation in
executive bodies.
"I feel I must advocate for the involvement of the regions in
the decision-making process" on the possible introduction of a
third term in office "because it would seem profoundly unfair to
decide on the institutional and democratic organisation of the
regions without the regions" themselves, said Fedriga, who is
serving his second term, separately.
The League exponent also dismissed Thursday's rejection by the
Senate Constitutional Affairs Committee of his party's proposal
in a vote that split the majority as "normal parliamentary
dynamics".
While League lawmakers voted in favour of the amendment, those
of Premier Giorgia Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy (FDI)
party - the main party in the right-centre majority - and the
other alliance partner, the centre-right Forza Italia of Deputy
Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, voted against,
together with the main opposition groups, the Democratic Party
(Pd) and the Five Star Movement (M5S).
League leader and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini afterwards
played down the rejection, insisting that in parliament the
assembly, not the committee, is sovereign.
On Friday the League's Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana, who
last year was re-elected for a second mandate, said he would be
"available" to run for a third term in office in due course.
The divisions are not only within the right-centre majority,
however.
Emilia Romagna's centre-left opposition Democratic Party
governor Stefano Bonaccini and Puglia's independent centre-left
governor Michele Emiliano have both said they are in favour of
the possibility of serving three consecutive terms, and
Bonaccini on Friday slammed the decision by PD lawmakers to vote
against the move in the Senate committee.
On Thursday Meloni shrugged off the divisions, saying the issue
is not part of the government programme and does not represent a
problem for the majority.
She is reported to be against dropping the two-term limit
because she wants more regions to be in the hands of
representatives of her FdI in order to reflect the fact that the
party is now the driving force of the majority alliance.
Photo: Friuli Venezia Giulia Governor Massimiliano Fedriga.
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