The reform of the premiership is essential to guarantee “credibility for Italy” and “does not affect the prerogatives of the President of the Republic”. The Minister for Reforms, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, explains to why our country needs to take this path seriously, but also touches on other important current issues of these days, from the dossier scandal that affected her in first person and the need to identify the candidates for the elections in Basilicata where there has been a convergence of part of the opposition on the centre-right candidate.
Minister Casellati, work has resumed in the Senate Constitutional Affairs Committee on the bill that bears his name. The president of the Balboni commission said that the arrival in the Chamber depends on the opposition, in case of obstruction it could take up to 3-4 months. Are we risking biblical times?
«The timing is determined, as always, by the parliamentary debate. The opposition presented 2,600 amendments, a number that speaks for itself. It is out of the question, indeed it is obvious, that parliamentary minorities express their point of view through amendments, but dissent in a physiological political dialectic should bring everyone around a table to try to find a composition, a point of collapse. But amendments that only serve to make time pass do not seem “dignified” to me when discussing changes to our Constitutional Charter. I underline that in 76 years of republican history there have been 68 governments lasting an average of 14 months. This endemic instability reduces Italy’s credibility and authority in international forums, prevents the development of long-term policies, has a significant economic impact quantified at 265 billion euros, in the last decade, in terms of greater interests on the economy and therefore families and businesses strongly”.
According to Elly Schlein, the reform of the premiership weakens the role of Parliament and undermines the guarantee role of the President of the Republic. Is the balance between state powers altered?
«The prerogatives of the President of the Republic have not been affected. Indeed, some of our amendments have strengthened his functions, such as the power to dismiss ministers and the elimination of ministers’ countersignature on some provisions of the Head of State. The role of Parliament also remains intact because it has the relationship of trust, the most politically significant power. The possibility of Parliament to disqualify the Prime Minister, even though he has direct popular legitimacy, reconfirms his centrality. The Chambers are therefore not deprived of the power to “make and unmake” the Government”.
What will change for the Prime Minister, isn’t there a risk of there being an imbalance in his favour?
«The reform does not cause any imbalance in the relationship between the elected Prime Minister and the President of the Republic because their action moves on completely different levels. The President of the Republic represents national unity. His neutrality and his authority derive from the fact that he is not biased, but draws his legitimacy directly from the values of the Constitution. The Prime Minister, through the popular vote, enhances the sovereignty of the voters in choosing the Government and has political direction powers. The alleged “alteration of powers”, flaunted by the opposition, seems to me to be just the umpteenth attempt by those who would like to keep everything as it is.”
For this reform to see the light, a qualified majority in Parliament will be needed. If there is no convergence with the opposition, as appears very likely, will you focus on the referendum? And when should it be held?
«I will never tire of seeking discussion, but if the opposition closes all the doors, the people will decide with the referendum. Talking about dates is premature.”
Why does the measure provide for the cancellation of senators for life?
«We have overcome the category of Senators for life in the logic of bringing democratic legitimation to the largest possible number of institutions of the form of government. An intervention made inevitable by the reduction in the number of senators which further narrowed the margin of majorities in this branch of Parliament.”
Can the so-called white semester really disappear?
«It is a necessary change because the dissolution of the Chambers can occur, in the case of resignation of the elected prime minister, even during the last six months of the mandate of the President of the Republic».
From the Perugia investigation we discovered that you too were spied on and was there a dossier against you just when your name was on the pitch for Colle in January 2022? What effect did discovering this have on you and what considerations do you feel you should make about it?
«From what I learn from the newspapers and from the hearings, these facts have an unprecedented gravity. State officials have seriously violated the law, exploiting their position to use public databases; they spied and built dossiers on ordinary citizens and others, to then pass the information on to certain press.
Suffice it to say, as far as I’m concerned, that I was the subject of dossiers when I held the role of second-largest state official. It’s really disconcerting. I think it is urgent to shed light on this whole affair to get to the instigators.”
Do you think that MP Cafiero De Raho should provide a clarification on what was happening to DNA when he was the national anti-mafia prosecutor?
«I believe that it is a duty for the National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor, which the Honorable Cafiero de Raho was at the time of the dossiers, to clarify what happened within his structure, because it pertains to the sphere of responsibilities of those who are at the top of a Institution”.
What do you think of the agreement in Basilicata with Italia Viva and Action which support the centre-right candidate Vito Bardi?
«As the regional coordinator of Forza Italia I am particularly satisfied that Italia Viva e Azione have chosen to support Vito Bardi. They clearly said that they appreciated the 5-year activity of his government and that they had faith that his way of doing politics will respond to the needs of the Lucanians.”
Is it a scheme that you believe can be replicated elsewhere and, perhaps, even at a national level?
«There are too many variables to say right now. I hope that our platform of values is increasingly shared.”
#sovereignty #people #imbalance #Tempo
2024-03-26 13:26:34