Reform Minister Maria Elena
Boschi said Wednesday the government was "certainly" willing to
change its Italicum electoral law "if the conditions in
parliament allow it" but stressed that any modifications would
have to be improvements.
She was speaking at the presentation of a book called
Updating the Constitution.
Her remarks came after a senator from Berlusconi's
center-right, opposition Forza Italia (FI) party reiterated the
Italicum should be amended to give a winner's bonus to
coalitions as well as single parties in runoff votes.
Giving a bonus to coalitions would benefit smaller parties
such as FI, which would need an alliance in order to win a
general election.
The Italicum as it stands benefits parties such as the
ruling center-left Democratic Party (PD) and the
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), currently the
second-largest party in Italy.
"Is the Italicum a perfect law? No, we know that," Boschi
said.
"But it manages to keep representation and governability
together. Everything can be discussed, but no law exists that
joins exact representation with governability," the minister
continued.
"Otherwise one might think parliament went mad when it
approved (the Italicum) after ten years' debate".
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