180 Constitutional experts appeal against premiership plans

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 18 - Over 180 of Italy's top Constitutional experts on Tuesday joined an appeal against the government's Constitutional reform bill introducing the direct election of the Italian premier by the people saying they shared life Senate and Holocaust survivor Liliana Segre's warnings last month that the reform presented "various alarming aspects".
    "All the fears set out in Senator Segre's heartfelt address are well-founded," said the experts in a statement.
    "The creation of a hybrid system, neither parliamentary nor presidential, never tried in other democracies, would introduce irreparable contradictions into our Constitution.
    "A minority, even a limited one, via a premium, could assume control of all our institutions, with no more checks and balances".
    They went on: "parliament would run the risk of no longer representing the country and becoming a mere service structure for the government, thus destroying the separation of powers.
    "The president of the republic would be reduced to a notary role and would risk losing his function as an arbiter and guarantor.
    "Faced with all this, we too cannot and will not remain silent", they said, echoing Segre.
    "We appeal to all political forces to make sure the general interest prevails, that the alarms that have been authoritatively launched are heeded, and the dangers are prevented.
    "While there's still time." The appeal, promoted by the Article 21 free-speech group, was signed by some former Constitutional Court chairs and deputy chairs including Enzo Cheli, Ugo de Siervo, Gaetano Silvestri, and Gustavo Zagrebelsky, as well as by an array of top Constitutional legal minds.
    The government has rejected opposition claims the reform will strip parliament and the president of power and will move towards more authoritarian government.
    Premier Giorgia Meloni says the reform, which moves from the Senate to the House later Tuesday and which will have to be approved by a referendum, will bring much needed stability and legitimacy to Italy's political system, which has been historically marked by weak and revolving door governments and unelected premiers. (ANSA).