57% of Italians went to the polls and over 95% of those who cast their ballots voted "yes" in each referendum, overturning the four laws in question.
Referenda in Italy are usually aimed at repealing a law. In that case, for an referendum to be valid, more than 50% of the voting population must cast their ballots. Referendum decisions in Italy last five years.
A much more precise tool than the bludgeon that would be referism. Referism could not be guaranteed to change anything.
Italy is the only member of the G8 that does not produce nuclear power, says The Guardian:
Supporters of nuclear energy argue that it is the key reason for the country's exceptionally high electricity bills. The high cost of electricity to both private consumers and business is also cited as a prime cause of Italy's low economic growth in recent years.Remind you of anywhere?
Not all Italian homes are connected to sewers, and pipelines lose about 38% of the water they carry. Italy spends about 10-15 euros per capita annually on water-system investments, compared with about 85 euros annually in northern European countries.
Another south European economy adrift of the northern pack.
But we can learn from them on referenda.
6 comments:
"A much more precise tool than the bludgeon that would be referism. Referism could not be guaranteed to change anything."
Uh ho, do I detect the re-opening of hostilities?
Not hostilities! I just remain unconvinced by referism.
Well, we look down on them for their lack of sanitary facilities, high electricity charges, and poor economic growth. But they may prefer that. They may prefer the more relaxed life, with long lunchbreaks and lax performance targets, but which mean they get to relax in the Roman sun over their pasta and scoot home early to Mama and the bambinos (or the Mistress - we are talking about Italy here, after all).
OK, that means they can't afford to invest properly in decent sanitation, but if they accept that as the price of a Mediterranean lifestyle and choose it, then who are the fools? The Italians? Or us Northern Europeans who are told to work work work until you die of a heart attack the day before you retire?
And surely that is what referenda/referism is about - clarifying those trade-offs, and forcing the State to set the trade-off where the people want it, not where Brussels and Whitehall have decided that we should want it to be set, for our own good?
Yes, it is absolutely a legitimate lifestyle choice. I agree, corruption and mafiosi notwithstanding.
But a currency locked to northern Europe will stop the country getting the devaluations that it will need to stay solvent.
And again yes, referenda can allow the citizens to express those choices. Referism wouldn't, though.
currency locked to northern Europe will stop the country getting the devaluations that it will need to stay solvent
Good point. But then, we always knew the Euro was an insane project.
Indeed, and the euro will keep Italians poorer than they would otherwise have been.
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