Italy's s supreme Cassation Court has
greenlighted a referendum for the complete abrogation of the
government's legislation bringing in 'differentiated autonomy'
to enable regions to request more power over how the tax
revenues collected in their areas are spent.
The central office of the supreme court, as first reported by
the online edition of Rome daily Repubblica, said it was
legitimate to request the law's total cancellation.
The sentence was issued after the Constitutional Court said last
month that it considered some parts of the law "illegitimate".
The Cassation's decision, illustrated in a 30-page sentence,
specifically regarded two possible questions of the referendum,
one to completely abolish the measure, which was accepted, and
the other on its partial abrogation, with the latter being
rejected.
The final word will now go back to the Constitutional Court,
which will focus on the connection between autonomy and the
budget law, which according to the referendum's promoters is
solely instrumental.
Last month, the Constitutional Court said it considered
assertions that the whole of the government's law bringing in
'differentiated autonomy' was unconstitutional were "not
founded".
The court added, however, that it did consider specific parts of
the law "illegitimate".
The court examined the law after some regional governments
raised objections to it.
Opposition parties say the law is a threat to national unity and
will worsen Italy's north-south divide to the detriment of
poorer regions in the south and have collected the signatures
necessary for the referendum on abolishing the law.
One of the issues raised by the Constitutional Court regarded
the legitimacy of the minimum levels of service (LEPs) that must
be provided by all regions nationwide being updated via a decree
issued by the premier.
Another issue regarded "optionality for the regions receiving
devolution, to contribute to public finance objectives, rather
than the obligation to do so, with consequent weakening of the
bonds of solidarity and the unity of the Republic".
The court said it was up to parliament to resolve the issues it
has identified.
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