Regional Council (Italy)
Encyclopedia
Regional Council is the name of the elected legislative assembly of a Regione
of Italy
, excluded Sicily
and Valley of Aosta, which parliament's name is, respectively, Sicilian Regional Assembly
(Assemblea regionale siciliana) and Council of the Valley (Consiglio della Valle).
After the collapse of Fascism
and the end of the war a violent independence movement that led to the institution of the region and the concession of the Statute, based on the model of federal States was born in Sicily
.
A similar route followed Friuli-Venezia Giulia
, Sardinia
, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Valley of Aosta.
The other regions was instituted, officially, by the Constitution of 1948, but first elections of regional Councils happened in 1970.
) of regional government (Giunta Regionale).
With the constitutional reforms of 1999 and 2001, they lost these powers (because the president is elected by the people and the assessors are appointed by the president). On the other hand the regional counsels obtained a lot of new legislative powers, including the regional electoral system, that before was decided by the State.
. In order to prevent political instability, a new electoral law, called Legge Tatarella, was introduced for the ordinary regions in 1995, and gradually extended with little changes to the other regions. Nowadays, the coalition of parties which receives the biggest number of votes, obtains the absolute majority of the Council's seats, and its leader is elected as the President of the Region. In Aosta Valley the President is elected by the Council. In Trentino- South Tirol, the Council is the joint session of the two Provincial Councils, each one with its own electoral law.
Regions of Italy
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes....
of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, excluded Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and Valley of Aosta, which parliament's name is, respectively, Sicilian Regional Assembly
Sicilian Regional Assembly
The Sicilian Regional Assembly is the legislative body of the Sicily, as provided in its special status. By virtue of its particular state legislature, Regional Assembly is the only regional assembly to have the title of parliament and its components are defined Deputies.- History :The Sicilian...
(Assemblea regionale siciliana) and Council of the Valley (Consiglio della Valle).
Origins
The regional idea was born, in Italy, during the national Risorgimento and the first decades after the Unity, but any proposal was rejected until the Second World War.After the collapse of Fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and the end of the war a violent independence movement that led to the institution of the region and the concession of the Statute, based on the model of federal States was born in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.
A similar route followed Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Valley of Aosta.
The other regions was instituted, officially, by the Constitution of 1948, but first elections of regional Councils happened in 1970.
Powers
Counsels, initially, had the power to elect the president and other members (assessorsAssessor (Italy)
In Italy an Assessor is a member of a Giunta, the executive body in all levels of local government: regions, provinces and communes....
) of regional government (Giunta Regionale).
With the constitutional reforms of 1999 and 2001, they lost these powers (because the president is elected by the people and the assessors are appointed by the president). On the other hand the regional counsels obtained a lot of new legislative powers, including the regional electoral system, that before was decided by the State.
Electoral system
Until the 90's, all councils were elected with a proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
. In order to prevent political instability, a new electoral law, called Legge Tatarella, was introduced for the ordinary regions in 1995, and gradually extended with little changes to the other regions. Nowadays, the coalition of parties which receives the biggest number of votes, obtains the absolute majority of the Council's seats, and its leader is elected as the President of the Region. In Aosta Valley the President is elected by the Council. In Trentino- South Tirol, the Council is the joint session of the two Provincial Councils, each one with its own electoral law.