It seems easy. Do you allow Italians who do not live in their place of residence for study or work reasons vote in elections without being forced, also from an economic point of view, a long trip to go back home. As in almost all European countries (except Malta And Cyprus). But no, it’s very complicated. For two reasons: the fierce resistance of the management engine and the lack of will centre-right politics. A deadly cocktail that throws a spanner in the works several legislative proposals now examined by the Constitutional Affairs Commission of Montecitorio. A few weeks ago at the audition Claudius SgaragliaHead of the Interior Department of the Interior Ministry, debunked the proposals on the table and made it clear that it would be better leave everything as it is. For the Interior Ministry, the procedure for changing the electoral system is only partially too complicated. And considering that in March it seemed complete, complete with a demonstration organized by The Good Lobby (who collected signatures with the petition I vote off-site) in Piazza Santi Apostoli with representatives of various political forces. But given the facts, the M5S and center-left are for Fdi, Lega and Forza Italia are holding back.
Well, after the rejection of the Viminale and the negative vote in the Commission on the combination of two proposals made by Marianna Madia (PD) and Victoria Baldino (5 stars), the spokesman for the Lega Nord Igor Lezi she accepted the Madia proposal as the basic text, but indicated that there was no rush. “The majority have indicated that if they have their way, this text will never see the light of day,” they say of the Democratic Party.
Madia’s text, like Baldino’s, provides early voting: A few days before the elections, the non-resident citizen can vote at a manned polling station in a post office at the place of residence with the voting card. Then the card is sealed and sent to the parish of residence, where it is shuffled with the others of one’s section. Another proposal in this area, signed Riccardo Magi (+ Europe), provides that local voters can vote on the candidates and lists of this constituency at their place of residence. Ideas, among other things, the result of the long work of the abstention commission of the former Minister for Relations with Parliament Federico D’Inca in the past legislature, also with the contribution of former ministers Franco Bassaninihas produced a “white paper on abstention” outlining proposals to curb the trend, such as: absence reconciliation. All school hypotheses, which then in reality hit a rubber wall. But off-site voting has been talked about for over a decade, with the first proposals being made as early as 2010, at the time of the last one Berlusconi government.
Il Viminale, with a speech by the Secretary of State of Melonia Wanda Ferro, has refuted both of the above hypotheses (madia and magi): the first would violate the territoriality principle of voting, the second would alter the voter pool, affecting the formation of constituencies. “These are all technical objections and therefore surmountable in the name of the principle of democratic suffrage,” notes Magi. Which underscores the contradiction of not allowing our compatriots to vote within the country when “voting abroad is allowed for people who don’t even speak Italian with ballots are sent by post from one end of the world to the other with few security measures”. The 5 stars also go on the attack. “We are faced with a surreal attitude that the government is posing melons from reality. The abstention is already very high, why should you help them?” asks the deputy group leader Victoria Baldino.
According to Istat, the number of non-residents in Italy is at almost 5 million people10% of the active electorate. Almost everyone does not vote, also to avoid having to bear the cost of a trip. “With voting in-house, they would recover between 2.5 million and 3 million voters. Attention: voters choose left, center and right. No one would have any particular advantages or benefits,” stresses the pollster Antonio Noto. Therefore, it remains incomprehensible why the right feels harmed. “Voting remotely would help tackle abstentions, but it wouldn’t solve the problem of political disenchantment. I would make it more of a constitutional suffrage issue,” he notes Massimo Pessato by swg. About ten amendments have been received on the Madia text and the question has been postponed to the first days of May. But without the political will of the majority (or some other transversal majority that does not currently exist) it will be difficult to achieve the goal.