threshold reduced from 4 to 3% – Corriere.it

There isn’t much time. In a year we votefor a month it’s been about: the goal change the electoral law for the Europeans, by lowering the barrier quota from 4 to 3%. This is what the majority and opposition parties are working on, engaged in informal talks, exchanges of documents, draft amendments. a dossier of parliamentary initiative, which is aware of the government and which it is carried out by the groups in the strictest secrecyto avoid hitches. Also because the operation – if successful – should be completed at the end of the year, once the budget session is completed.

The discussion began in the first days of May after a request made by the Greens, who proposed to standardize the barrier to accessing the European Parliament to the model in force for the Chambers. In support of the thesis it has been pointed out that in most EU countries the voting systems provide for symbolic thresholds between 1 and 2%. And in some cases, pure proportionality applies, i.e. without barrage. Obviously there is a direct interest behind this initiative, given that in the last national elections environmentalists allied with the Left obtained 3.6%.

It is evident that the technical make-up is carried with one another relevant policy implications. The idea immediately met the (bipartisan) interest of minor parties. But even FdI, from the first contacts, did not place vetoes. And not only because it is reminiscent of what happened in 2014, when Giorgia Meloni stopped just three decimals below the 4% threshold and failed to enter Strasbourg.

The relative majority party intends to help the allied centrist area. But if until last week the problem concerned only the post-Christian Democrat archipelago and Noi Moderati, after the death of Silvio Berlusconi the question could also involve the Azzurri. If the Italian reference block of the EPP does not win seats, the European project of the premier would be jeopardized. And above all, it would radically change the national political geography outlined by the vote in September last year.

true that the allies of the forzisti, including the Northern League, they show confidence and trust in the stability of the center thanks to an agreement between the votes of Berlusconi’s hard core (estimated at 5%) and the rest of the moderate forces which could bring two more points as a dowry. More. The lowering of the quorum — in their evaluations — it would allow Matteo Renzi and Carlo Calenda to move independentlythus resolving what is called the misunderstanding of the Third Pole.

In short, to facilitate the reduction of the barrier would produce a positive political balance. And it would probably also guarantee an electoral return, given that 3% is still a complicated bar to overcome. AND at which point the seats would be divided among the larger forces. These are assessments made before the Knight’s disappearance and on the basis of a negotiation requested by the opposition.

Not all. Because the Democratic Party is divided as usual. There are those among Elly Schlein’s loyalists who do not want to change the barrage, because they believe in doing so to drain votes on the left. And who among the dem argues instead that those consensuses would be dispersed and then it would be preferable to accept the lowering of the quorumso as to allow allies to strengthen themselves in view of future coalition agreements.

One thing is certain, if the barrage altitude is changed The rule for collecting signatures in support of lists will also be changed, excluding the parties present in Parliament from the task. This too was discussed, and that is enough to understand that the work to reach an agreement is already ahead. But until December no one will expose themselves on the contents of the changes to the electoral law. It would be a sort of substitute before opening the debate on the right of rostrum in Europe for smaller forces: the starting signal for the 3% operation.

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