The PD’s proposal as an alternative to the premiership: the chancellorship and preferences

ROME — The red line is precisely the direct election of the prime minister, the flag of Melonian reform. For the Democratic Party it is unacceptable: it is not even discussed. The alternative that is opposed is the German chancellorship. The Dem’s proposal, so far advanced in the amendments presented to the Constitutional Affairs commission, will end up in an organic bill that will be presented after the European elections. The anti-premiere of the Nazarene.

The guidelines are inspired by a text edited by over thirty constitutionalists of Astrid, the association chaired by former minister Franco Bassanini. And, in particular, to the contributions of Enzo Cheli and Franco Gallo. Experts reject the government’s project: “It arises from an assemblage of elements taken from different models, ending up concentrating maximum power in the hands of the top of the government.” A reform which, it is claimed, «produces a strong weakening of the role of guarantee and balance ensured so far by the President of the Republic» but the relationship between Palazzo Chigi and Parliament would also be unbalanced «deprived of sovereign legitimacy as it was elected in tow of the Prime Minister and moreover on the basis of a majority bonus without threshold. The premiership – we read in the abstract of the book entitled Constitution as reform – the election of parliamentarians is subordinate to the election of the top executive on which deputies and senators also depend for their permanence in office. After a brief Israeli interlude, this system is now not adopted in any democratic state, due to the absence of checks and balances.”

In the German model taken as a reference by the Democratic Party, the Head of State gives the task to the Prime Minister, who is generally the leader of the party or coalition that wins the elections. His role is strengthened by some powers assigned to him, such as the possibility of dismissing ministers. And above all, constructive no-confidence is contemplated, i.e. the obligation for whoever brings down a prime minister to indicate an alternative candidate and coalition. Compared to the German system, in the Democratic Party’s proposal there is a “softer” dissolution power, with greater power attributed to the President of the Republic to manage a political crisis. Another important point is the overcoming of the electoral law, with a selective mechanism that provides for the return to preferences and the establishment of small single-member constituencies. Then a guarantee quorum to elect the institutional positions (the Head of State but also the presidents of the Chambers), a limit to the emergency decree by the government and the right for a group of parliamentarians to appeal to the Constitutional Court on the approved laws from the two hemicycles. «These are rules – says Alessandro Alfieri, head of Reforms in the dem secretariat – which stand in contrast with the direct election of the prime minister, a system that does not exist anywhere in the world and which compresses the powers of the Quirinale. As long as the majority makes this prediction – he states – they cannot even begin a dialogue.”