(ANSA) - A reform bill which gives greater powers to Italian regions was approved by the Italian parliament on Wednesday night.
The controversial reform devolves powers over health, education and local policing to Italy's 20 regions. The reform entails changes to Italy's postwar Constitution.
It won final approval in the Senate by 170 votes to 132 with three abstentions. The head of the highly controversial, separatist Northern League party, Umberto Bossi, celebrated the vote and was given a standing ovation from the government benches.
Bossi, who has been largely sidelined from politics since a stroke last year, came to parliament with his wife
and children to see the reform approved. He received a warm welcome from Premier Silvio Berlusconi and said he was "not afraid of a referendum."
Since the reform did not gain two-thirds support in parliament, it will now be put to a referendum which is
unlikely to take place before next spring's general election. The centre-right government hailed the reform, which also increases the powers of the premier.
The centre-left opposition, which claims the reform widens Italy's north-south divide, voiced confidence that it will be defeated in the referendum. Opposition leader Romano Prodi said the reform "is against the country's interests."
Opinion polls say the reform does not enjoy enough public support to win popular approval.
But its chances are better than normal referendum issues because a quorum is not required in Constitutional
referendums, as opposed to others. Aside from the question of devolution, the reform also makes radical changes to Italy's institutions.
The governing coalition argues that it will strengthen the executive and produce greater governability.
It has responded to charges that government would have too much power by observing that the opposition would head all watchdog committees. It has also highlighted that the reform would bring younger faces into politics.
The minumum age for becoming an MP would be lowered from 25 to 21, that of a Senator from 40 to 25 and that of the Italian president from 50 to 40.
The opposition has accused Premier Silvio Berlusconi of trying to gain excessive powers.
It also says the government was "blackmailed" into approving the bill by the Northern League, a small populist party in government which has fought to see greater powers devolved from the State to Italy's regional governments.
Government ministers said the reform was "a victory" for the entire coalition and not just the League - but
nationalist misgivings were highlighted when a prominent member of the rightwing National Alliance quit in protest just before the vote.
Domenico Fisichella, a former minister, said he agreed with the opposition that the reform dents national unity. Italy's Constitution was drawn up in 1947 and includes a series of barriers, with its separation of powers and system of checks and balances, designed to prevent the emergence of another Benito Mussolini, Italy's Fascist dictator.
Four key changes underpin the reform plan: increasing the powers of the premier while trimming those of the
president; transforming the Senate into a federal rather than a national legislative body; devolving powers from the State to the regions; and reforming the Constitutional Court so regional interests are represented.
If it is approved in the referendum, the premier would be directly elected by voters and given the powers to hire and fire ministers, propose that parliament be dissolved and call elections.
If the premier were to lose majority support, the majority could present a motion of no-confidence together
with the name of a new candidate for premier. With the present system, only parliament can dismiss a
minister via a no-confidence vote, while it is up to the president to dissolve parliament and call elections.
The government says a stronger premier would provide greater stability in Italy, which has gone through 58
governments since the end of the Second World War. The Senate would be given the definitive say on laws
involving the regions but the government would be given the right to block a regional law deemed damaging to national interests. The House, meanwhile, would have the final say on laws regarding the State such as foreign, defence and justice policies.
The two chambers would legislate on an equal footing on laws regarding social policy and civil rights. Laws on these issues would enjoy a fast track through parliament.
The Constitutional Court, the supreme arbiter of Italian justice, would retain its 15 members but they would be appointed differently. Under the current system, five are appointed by the president, five by parliament in joint session and five by the highest law and administrative courts. Instead, four would be appointed by the president, four by the courts and seven by parliament.
The president would have less power to question legislation.
Such sweeping reforms are normally hammered out with opposition consensus.
Critics of the reform say they are already geared to start gathering the required support for the referendum.
They have three months to get half a million signatures. Once this petition is made, the high court has one month to check if it is valid and the government a further two months to call it.
Once it is called, the head of state must schedule it 50-60 days later.
