Lombardy Region: no progress on the new electoral law
During the Second Institutional Affairs Committee of the Lobardian Regional Council's session the Lombardian Northern League tried to postpone the election day by an obstructionism. Right wing PDL party is divided on the opportunity to maintain the actual ruling coalition. The opposition is going to organize a primary election among Democratic Party of Lombardy, SEL left wing and IDV center-left parties councillors.
A debate on the new electoral law and the electoral campaign's start are the main Lombardian politics' hot topics during last days. On Thursday the 10/18 and Friday the 10/19 the Regional Council Institutional Affairs committee session was blocked by an obstructionism of the Lombardian Northern League.
The session started with a discussion about governor Roberto Formigoni's role. According to the new electoral law, endorsed by right wing PDL main ruling party, Formigoni has got the power to call for new election.
Otherwise, the Lombardian Northern League, which is the second ruling coalition partner, criticized the decision to give the governor more power during a period of political crisis, and presented more than 200 amendments in order to posticipate the early regional election day.
According to Lombardi Nel Mondo info portal, a definitive electoral law's approval by the Institutional Affairs Committee until next Regional Council plenary session is not possible if Lombardian Northern League will go on with the obstructionism.
Lombardy Region Governor Roberto Formigoni endorsed an early regional election day on December, and has been supported by the most conservative PDL councillors. Otherwise, lay PDL councillors agreed with former Italian PM Sivlio Berlusconi about the necessity to maintain an alliance with the Lombardian Northern League.
The internal struggle in the PDL party concerns also the candidatures to next Lombardy Region governor. Formigoni and conservative PDL councillors support former Milan's mayor Gabriele Albertini's candidature and the creation at the same time of a coalition with center-right wing party FLI and the centrist UDC - which is now in the opposition to the actual governor.
Otherwise, lay PDL councillors and former Italian PM Berlusconi are in favor of the National Northern League secretary Roberto Maroni's candidature, supported by the same coalition which is actually ruling the most important Italian Region.
Also the opposition is involved on new electoral law approval, and already started to think about their candidatures on next early regional election. As Blogdem reports, the Democratic Party of Lombardy registered an electoral law proposal based on a blocked list roll abolition and a collection of signatures number's decrease.
Left wing SEL party is going to struggle for a double gender preference introduction, in order to guarantee more women than now the presence in Lombardian Regional Council.
By the official party's Twitter account, the center-left IDV spokesman Stefano Zamponi announced his candidature in the opposition's primary election.
The IDV spokesman will probably challenge Democratic Party of Lombardy Secretary Maurizio Martina and the councillor-democrat Pippo Civati. Regional councillor Giulio Cavalli is also interested in taking part in the opposition primaries as a SEL party candidate.
The center-right ruling coalition in Lombardy broke down when the Lombardian Northern League quitted the alliance with PDL after the arrest of PDL Housing Assessor Domenico Zambetti, accused to have bought votes from mafia.
Moreover, the stability of Lombardian ruling coalition was influenced by a national government constitutional reform, which is going to take away from Regions their competences on energy, welfare and transport.
Roberto Formigoni, a 67 years old politician lied with powerful CL PDL internal conservative stream, leads Lombardy Region from 1995: four times he was appointed as the Lombardian governor by the popular vote.
In 17 years of government, Formigoni created the best welfare system in Italy. His activity has been also characterized by several cases of corruption and scandals which undermined Lombardian governor's credibility.
Matteo Cazzulani
