Roundup: Italy's parliament gives final approval to constitutional reform

The Italian parliament on Tuesday gave its final approval to a constitutional reform bill that will deeply reshape the country's profile and law-making process.

The Chamber of Deputies gave the last green light to the bill with 361 votes in favor and seven votes against.

The constitutional draft law was first presented by the cabinet in April 2014, and went through sixth consecutive readings in both chambers of the parliament. Opposition forces abstained, and left the assembly ahead of the vote to protest against the reform.

"The parliament approved constitutional reform after two years of work. Thanks to all those who have believed in it," Reform Minister Maria Elena Boschi twitted on her account shortly after the voting.

Under the reform, Italy will abandon the so-called "perfect bicameralism" system, which has been effective in the country since the constitution entered into force in 1948.

The senate will be demoted into an assembly in charge of regional affairs, and its seats will be cut to 100 from the current 315. Future senators will be selected among elected members of regional assemblies and mayors.

Most relevant, the senate will be stripped of its current law-making equal status with the Chamber of Deputies and will lose the power to vote on budget laws and other major legislation, and will have no power to bring down the cabinet. However, it would maintain its prerogatives on constitutional and electoral laws, and European treaties.

As such, the reform will shorten Italy's current decision-making process, since most bills will not have to shuttle from one chamber to the other until both of them agree on an identical text.

It will also strengthen the cabinet at the expense of the parliament, as a government will not need the confidence vote from both chambers, as it is now, but only from the lower house.

The reform also introduces other major changes. The central government will gain more prerogatives in key sectors such as major infrastructures, energy, and transport routes, which have been so far under local authorities' partial jurisdiction.

The rules to elect the president of the Italian Republic will change: qualified majorities of two-thirds and three-fifths of all MPs will be required up to the first three rounds and sixth rounds of voting, respectively; a three-fifths majority of those choosing to vote will serve from the seventh round on.

The CNEL, a national economic consultative body that is comprised of 64 representatives of workers, entrepreneurs, and experts will be abolished.

The constitutional draft law was seen as a top priority in the agenda of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's center-left cabinet, and represents the first major overhaul of the Italian constitution in over six decades.

Three previous reform attempts had been made in the Italian parliament, namely in 1985, 1994, and 1998, but failed. Some minor changes to the constitution were introduced in 2001, mainly strengthening the regions' legislative powers at the expense of the central government.

Another reform bill was submitted by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's cabinet in 2006, passed by the parliament, but rejected in a national referendum.

The reform just approved will have to face the same challenge: it will be submitted to referendum in order to be confirmed or rejected by voters. The referendum might be held in October, according to the cabinet's plan. Enditem