Senate panel OKs direct election of PM - Politics. Senate Constitutional Affairs Committee on Tuesday approved the core of the government's reform of the Italian premiership.
Under the current system in Italy, parties engage in government-formation talks after a general election and then the coalition that forms a ruling majority in parliament agrees on a figure to propose to the President of the Republic to become prime minister. The reform, which is likely to be put to a referendum after it is passed, has been criticized as depleting the powers of the head of State.