Elections: ok from the Senate for the vote on Monday as well

   Final go-ahead from the Senate Chamber to the decree law which provides that the voting operations for the

take place - as well as on Sunday, from 7 to 23 - also on Monday , from 7 to 15. There were 146 votes in favour, one against and no abstentions.

There were 148 present, 147 voters.

"The extension of the voting days for 2023 must mark the beginning of a serious discussion on the bills already hinged on the Commission, such as those on off-site voting and on internal party democracy, to ensure solidity and legitimacy for our democracy.

    Only a participatory democracy can carry out the emancipating function that the Constitution assigns to it".

This was stated by Senator

, Pd group leader in the Constitutional Affairs commission, speaking in the Chamber in the explanation of vote.   

"In a beautiful booklet that the Presidency of the Council of Ministers published in May 2022, entitled "For citizen participation", on page 22, it is written that to try to encourage people to participate in the vote, it is proposed to include in the election day also on Monday. So there were these good intentions, but then we didn't understand why, when the political elections were called, only Sunday remained".

Thus in the Senate Hall the president of the senators of the League,

, intervenes during the examination of the election decree.

    "The Presidency of the Council - he adds - wrote one thing and then, in practice, did another; we, on the other hand, with great consistency, keep faith with the work that had been done by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and make operational one thing that by now I think everyone can understand: by voting one more day until 3 pm, there is a good chance that people will go to vote more willingly and will be able to recover. We have substantially given substance to a prediction of democracy, without electoral calculations" . 

 "The one under discussion today is a decree that is valid for one year and that the government dismissed quickly. But it is also an opportunity to reflect on the opportunity to extend voting time in a stable manner. We are voting for this measure with conviction, because the the percentage of abstentions has grown exponentially in recent years. And we are fighting to widen the participation of Italians as much as possible. The ability to be able to vote even on Mondays will be able to make its contribution and it is a good sign that it will be followed by other interventions for the return to a true sovereignty of the citizens.This government is, in fact, working on other interventions. I cite, for example, the return to the direct election of the presidents of the provinces.The center-right will continue on this with all due respect to the left which supported the Delrio reform, a provision which deprived Italians of exercising the sacrosanct right and duty to elect their representatives". ,

.

"True freedom is democracy, it is voting. Voting is never wasted time, which is why we are in favor of the decree; a provision that has a political, democratic and participatory value".

This was stated by Forza Italia senator

speaking in the Chamber during the explanations of vote on the Elections decree.

    "The government has done well in restoring a wider time frame for the opening of the polls, which can be a valid reason to facilitate greater participation. But politics must reflect on itself, make self-criticism and involve citizens more. In mature democracies - he continued - the voters' vote has been declining, but it is also true that when the elections are of greater importance, participation grows. Politics must be able to make proposals and give solutions, it is not the duration of the opening of the polling stations that determines the quality of democracy. Let us remember that quality and participation in politics are obtained by involving citizens".