The Senate's Constitutional Affairs
Committee on Thursday rejected a proposal from Deputy Premier
and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini's League party to remove
the limit on regional governors serving no more than two terms.
Premier Giorgia Meloni's ruling majority split over the
proposal, which was rejected by 16 votes to four.
While the League's representatives voted in favour, those of
Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy (FDI) party and the other
main alliance partner, the centre-right Forza Italia of Foreign
Minister Antonio Tajani, voted against, as did the main
opposition groups, the Democratic Party (PD) and the 5-Star
Movement (M5S).
The issue has reportedly caused tension within the ruling
coalition.
Several governors face having to step down the next time their
regions hold elections unless the limit is removed.
These include the League's popular Veneto Govenor Luca Zaia.
Zaia has been in charge of the region since 2010 and is already
on this third term. He was able to stand again in 2020 because
Veneto did not incorporate the national law setting the two-term
limit into its regional election law until 2012.
This meant that, given as the measure cannot be applied
retroactively, Zaia's first term did not count in this regard.
Meloni is reported to be against dropping the two-term limit
because she wants more regions in the hands of representatives
of her FdI in order to reflect the fact that it has become the
driving force of the right/centre-right alliance
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