(see related) Italy must
change and this is why a December 4 referendum on his
government's constitutional reform law is key, Premier Matteo
Renzi wrote in his online newsletter Monday.
"This (country) can't remain a hostage of the usual
suspects, the bog that has hindered growth over the past 20
years," Renzi wrote.
"That's why the constitutional referendum (to be held
December 4 from 07:00 t0 23:00) is fundamental. Its results do
not depend so much on me, but on all of you," the premier wrote.
The reform 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.
It also does away with the National Council on
Economy and Labour (CNEL) - an organ with 64 councillors plus a
president - and completes the elimination of Italy's 110
provinces on the premise they are redundant and expensive.
"The issue is simple on its merits," the young reformist
premier wrote.
"Do we want to do away with the perfectly bicameral system
(blamed for decades of gridlock) or not? Do we want to cut down
on the number of lawmakers or not? Do we want to reduce
institutional expenses? Do we want to abolish the CNEL? Do we
want to change the relationship between central government and
regions, which has caused so many jurisdictional problems over
the past 15 years?"
However the referendum can be boiled down to a simpler
concept, Renzi wrote.
"Do we want a simpler, more stable country... or surrender
ourselves to... a Milan LLC that controls the internal democracy
of one of the country's largest parties, with administrators
bound by private contracts and liable to penalties?" he said in
reference to Casaleggo Associates, a company owned by the late
Gianroberto Casaleggio, who co-founded the anti-establishment
5-Star Movement (M5S).
The M5S, currently Italy's second political group after
Renzi's center-left Democratic Party (PD), is campaigning for a
'No' vote on the referendum.
"It's here and now, or never," Renzi added. "We won't get
another chance".
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