Italy, requested “certain times for differentiated regionalism”

Stefano Bonaccini, president of the Conference of the major public territorial bodies of the Peninsula, pushes for the acceleration of the process of the framework law on autonomy

Enhanced autonomy must be done, without ifs and buts, and cannot be further postponed. An important appeal to the whole of Italy, but above all to parliamentarians, was launched on October 7 from a particularly authoritative pulpit, that of the President of the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces.

Italy, the legitimate implementation of differentiated autonomy

In a hearing before the Commission for Regional Issues of the Chamber of Deputies, Stefano Bonaccini in fact evaluated positively the framework law on differentiated regionalism, but “on condition that it is carried out with time guarantees: I would not like to find myself in four and a half years, at the end of my second legislature, at the same point because we would make the country laugh“.

Decreasing pace of parliamentary work

“The last few months,” said the “governor” of the Emilia-Romagna Region, which leads the coordinating body of the largest territorial public bodies of the Peninsula, “have led to a new centrality of regionalism and a strengthening of the places of collaboration. The necessary prerequisite is the overcoming of historical spending criteria towards standard requirements. The definition of essential levels of performance is preparatory to any discussion“.

Reiterating the support for the framework law that defines “a framework of principles and general rules, which on the one hand secures the prerogatives of Parliament, and on the other ensures the enforceability of the contents negotiated between government and region“, Stefano Bonaccini has emphasized that “the parliamentary process has weakened despite the unanimous consent of the regions, then the outbreak of the pandemic crisis has understandably placed the issue in the background.

However, on the subject of autonomy and differentiated regionalism, “I expect that in the coming weeks there will be an acceleration of the whole process: I asked on behalf of colleagues to the Minister Francesco Boccia.

Sacred agreements between government and… governors

“An important point of mediation,” added the president of the Conference that brings together the most important territorial public bodies of constitutional rank, “is that of the involvement of Parliament: on the one hand, I would find it curious that the Chambers upset an agreement signed between the government and individual regions, but also not very polite that Parliament cannot enter into the merits. We need a framework that provides guarantees, uniformity and certainty of resources. This is independent of the request for differentiated autonomy, which some regions have never asked for and may never ask for“.

Italy, because differentiated autonomy “is” the Constitution

Speaking then of the reform process that should be triggered, Stefano Bonaccini concluded by stressing “that we should go to the overcoming of the equal bicameralism and in my idea of a more virtuous relationship between the territory, not only regions but also municipalities and provinces, there would be a Chamber that represents them as opposed to another that remains the only legislative.

Preliminary agreement between the Government and the Emilia-Romagna Region (in Italian)
Preliminary agreement between the Government and the Lombardy Region (in Italian)
Preliminary agreement between the Government and the Veneto Region (in Italian)