Electoral law, Pagano: I am not aware of any willingness to postpone it until July

“I am not aware of any willingness on the part of the majority to postpone the debate on the electoral law in the Chamber of Deputies until July.” The chairman of the Chamber of Deputies’ Constitutional Affairs Committee, Nazario Pagano (Fi), has ruled out the possibility of a postponement requested by the opposition, having been questioned on the matter by the Ansa news agency.

As things stand, the timetable provides for the electoral law to be brought before the Chamber on Friday 26 June, and the matter will be discussed at a group leaders’ meeting in the coming days. “As far as the proceedings are concerned,” added Pagano, “we can easily complete the committee stage by Wednesday, having discussed all the amendments. I am satisfied with how the debate between the majority and the opposition is progressing: when the opposition asks for clarification on the majority’s amendments or on the assessment given to theirs, there is a substantive exchange of views.”

“On Friday, it will be debated in the Chamber of Deputies; we should approve it the following week. Personally, I hope we won’t have to call a vote of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies, even though Renzi has tabled one. We’ll have to wait and see what happens in the Senate,” said Luca Ciriani, Minister for Relations with Parliament, in an interview with *La Repubblica*.

From the opposition, however, Vittoria Baldino (M5S) points out that ‘all the most important amendments have been shelved, including the one on off-site voting, which is a sign that the majority is struggling with these issues. Haste is often a poor counsellor; I just hope that the committee manages to discuss everything thoroughly, without rushing things’.