Electoral law: government gives confidence to the Chamber, opposition protests

The Minister for Relations with Parliament, Luca Ciriani, raised the question of confidence on articles 1, 2 and 3 of the electoral law in the Chamber.

The explanations of vote on Article 1 will begin tomorrow at 12.10pm, with roll-call voting no earlier than 2pm. The explanations of vote on Article 2 and the roll-call vote will follow.

On Wednesday, from 9am, explanations of vote on Article 3 will begin, with roll-call voting no earlier than 10.50am. At the end and until 1.30 pm we will move on to voting on article 8 of the electoral law. From 4.15pm, with a possible night continuation, we will move forward with the agenda.

On Thursday, starting from 10.30 am, the final vote declarations on the measure will take place live on TV: the final vote is expected no earlier than 12.30 pm. The current president, Giorgio Mulè, recalled the stages of the vote in the coming days.

The opposition: 'The majority is afraid, a slap in the face to Parliament'

"The placing of confidence" on the electoral law "is unworthy" and "we express the deepest discomfort for a slap in the face of this branch of Parliament". Federico Fornaro (Pd) said this in the Chamber. "Confidence is placed on 53 amendments presented by the opposition, anything but an obstructionist attitude", he added.

"You are afraid of the stability of your majority and of the secret vote which fortunately will take place", added the dem. "You are afraid of democracy and your parliamentarians", the words of Filiberto Zaratti of Avs. "We are putting parliamentary democracy in the attic," said Enrica Alifano of the M5s. "Stop, we can make more reasonable legislation", the appeal of Riccardo Magi of Più Europa.

"The Meloni government has just placed its confidence in the electoral law. It is a very serious, intolerable choice. The electoral law is a matter par excellence for Parliament. It cannot become an instrument through which the Government ties its own political survival to itself", states the deputy of the Democratic Party, Roberto Speranza, in a press release.

"I have always thought so. And today I want to claim it even more forcefully. In the spring of 2015 I was group leader of the Democratic Party in the Chamber, when the Renzi government placed its confidence in the Italicum. Faced with that choice, I decided to resign as group leader. And I did not vote for confidence in the government. It was not an easy decision, but it was a decision consistent with what I have always believed in: the electoral law belongs to Parliament and its responsibilities, because it concerns the fundamental rules of our democracy. Today Giorgia Meloni repeats that same choice because she is afraid of the free vote of Parliament. It is an unacceptable force. It is a real violence against our democracy which we must fight openly", adds the former minister.

"In the areas in which a secret vote can be requested, is the right of the parliamentarian (to vote by non-open ballot ed.) or of the government to place a vote of confidence prevalent? I believe it is a question which our regulation should take care of", Filiberto Zaratti of Avs said in the Chamber after the government asked for confidence on the first three articles of the electoral reform.

An issue on which the current vice president Giorgio Mulé said he would report to the presidency. "Look at home - he added - this is a trust suffered by Meloni's allies more than by the opposition". "Everything - he concluded - is based on a show of strength by the Brothers of Italy towards its allies, the opposition and above all towards the country on which it imposes rules that design a Parliament further away from the citizens in a more authoritarian plan of the State".