The Italian Parliament between revisions and attempts to reform

Abstract

This paper adopts as a starting hypothesis that the Italian Constitution
only provides for constitutional, homogeneous or even occasional «revisions» (section 1). However, the author criticizes that political forces have intended to approve up to six times constitutional «reforms» that, as such, are not homogeneous. In particular, four of them failed to be approved, while two others, although approved by the Parliament, ended up being rejected after two referendums in 2006 and 2016 (section 2). Therefore, the analysis reveals that the original meaning of the concept of «revision» provided for in Article 138 of the Italian Constitution has remained firm (section 3). Finally, the author submits to scrutiny the so-called «Boschi reform» (section 4), which was addressed at the initiative of the leader of the Democratic Party, Matteo Renzi, and was finally rejected by popular referendum as well. Indeed, such reform posed serious perplexities, not only because of the violation of the direct election concerning the Senate, but also as a result of the contradictory nature of Senators statute, the excessive differentiation of legislative procedures and, finally, the violation of the constitutional principle recognizing the guarantee of self-government in favour of territorial entities.

Summary:
1. Constitutional «Revisions» and «Reforms». 2. The failed attempts of constitutional «reforms». 3. Article 138 of the Constitution still provides for «Revisions» and not «Reforms». 4. The Boschi «Reform»