“There isn’t just one road. Direct election? It can give stable governments»- Corriere.it

Professor Fulco Lanchester, emeritus of comparative constitutional law, what is the formula for stability?

«Preconceived recipes do not exist. But there are various actions that can be taken. Including the modification of the electoral system in the strict sense which is now based on the nomination of candidates by the political “leader”, leaving minimal space for the selection of the elector».

What is the prime ministership mentioned in the consultations?

«A formula that should provide for the direct elections of the Parliamentary Assembly and of the Prime Minister, or prime minister, and should favor a legislature government. In multi-party legal systems, before the elections, the convergence of government between the parties is found and a program is formulated, proposing a government team and a prime minister. It is the translation of a French proposal (alternative to the direct election of the head of state), carried out on a political level by Pierre Mendès France in 1962 and by the constitutionalist Duverger. In Italy the hypothesis was developed among others by Serio Galeotti, in the context of research directed by Gianfranco Miglio. In the 90s of the last century he assumed the name of election of the “Mayor of Italy”».

Where does it already exist?

“It was adopted in Israel in the 1990s but quickly shelved.”

Is it similar to the English premiership?

“No. That is a formula based on a one-round majority electoral system and a two-party system with mutually respecting formations. Usually it is the electoral result that indicates the premier to the Sovereign: the leader of the winning party».

What about French-style semi-presidentialism?

«Since 1962 the President of the Republic has been selected by the electorate, and his election precedes that of the National Assembly. The system is based on a two-round majority electoral system in single-member constituencies and strong stabilization mechanisms”.

What are the differences with the German Chancellorship?

«In Germany, after Hitler’s totalitarianism, the power of the President of the Republic decreased. The chancellor, who presides over the government, is elected by the Bundestag and is chosen after lengthy negotiations between the coalition parties which reach agreement on a program that must be implemented. The federal assembly elects the president of the republic.’

How can the Reform of Regional Autonomies affect the government system?

“It’s not a reform. A differentiated regionalism gives the more affluent Regions greater possibilities for intervention. The danger inherent in the new regionalism is that the citizens of the more developed regions are more equal than the others”.

And the “mayor of Italy”?

“When the law on the election of the mayor was passed in 1993, they did not want to extend it to the national level because it was feared it would lead to a tyrant”.

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