Seats based on turnout? It would be a real reform
Response to the call to vote by the presidents of Italy, Germany and Austria. Against the stigma of "evasive" abstentionism. Battista Falconi's italics
Pezzone on the Corrierone , every now and then it happens: "it fits", as he says nowadays. Let's be clear, one of the few newspapers that is worth scrolling through, if not reading, continues to appear from Via Solferino, but the tendency towards articles is unstoppable and then there is competition with the Messaggero (another very worthy newspaper) as the quirinal organ . Yes, because today's sheet is signed by three presidents of the Republic: the Italian, the German and the Austrian, even if it sounds like a joke when put that way. Average age of the authors over 70, all three males, just to point out that the gender and age balance is not perfectly respected. But the aim of the editorial was so noble that we cannot stop at certain subtleties: an appeal to vote to save democracies in anticipation of the European elections.
In fact, the issue of abstentionism is not addressed as much as it deserves, while it is a factor that could significantly influence the composition of community bodies. Beyond the usual rant, the concern of the signatories is probably determined by the curious mutation whereby, for a few years, the protest through the "non-vote" has moved from right to left, since the former has found another valve of vent in the so-called "sovereign" parties, while the progressives are so disappointed and disillusioned by the various lists that they decide to go to the seaside, obviously to read a book under the umbrella. Let's think of the greens, who began to collapse just when environmentalism was establishing itself as an issue to be kept at the top of the agenda (btw: Greta Thunberg is back on the media altars for her new "propal" battle).
In addition to its change in ideological physiognomy, abstentionism would also deserve attention because it could be the subject of a true, fair, concrete and effective institutional reform. The other day a conference was held on "Everyone's Constitution", a very effective title which induced the aforementioned Sergio Mattarella to intervene, the following day, to add a pointed point "it must be defended", suggesting that it should be left unchanged, according to the paradigm according to which institutions and agreements are respected only if they are not adapted to the times. It is the same story that is happening at the UN, a body that has evidently lost any function and of which, yesterday, the Israeli representative literally made waste.
At the meeting Meloni, among many other things, recalled that he had voted, but without full conviction, to reduce the number of parliamentarians. In fact, horizontal cuts are always unfair and often ineffective, we know this well. A different measure could instead be adopted: assigning seats in proportion to the number of voters. Simple and all in all also necessary, if we want to fully implement the citizenship of those who find nothing in the political offer that could interest them. There are a thousand seats available, 60% vote, only 600 are given in proportion to the votes obtained (and according to the agreed rules). In fact, the certainty of the positions assigned to the elected representatives also lowers the party quality.
The stigma of abstentionism as an evasion of electoral duty is profoundly wrong and, to be honest, until some time ago we Italians looked at countries in which the turnout percentages were much lower than the average as more advanced and civilized systems. ours, traditionally plebiscitarian but for reasons that are not always honorable, such as clientelism or opposition by blocs.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/seggi-in-base-allaffluenza-sarebbe-una-vera-riforma/ on Sat, 11 May 2024 08:00:46 +0000.