Return of the Lira? Italian general election, 2018

[ursus arctos]

That would be the MSI that self identified as Neo-Fascists

https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/1199780784497987585

[Diable Rouge]

Still, such a hypothetical vote would presumably produce a DC-PCI-PSI coalition, which would have been preferable to the modern governments.

[ursus arctos]

It is all very much fantasy, but I don't see the DC agreeing to a coalition with the Communists when the MSI are the single largest party and threatening them from the right.

[Ginger Yellow]

With the Lega polling as they are, this is surely no surprise.

[ursus arctos]

Unfortunately not

[Diable Rouge]

There may be hope yet for Italian politics:

https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/1203800455287132163

[Balderdasha]

Not relevant to this thread at all, but the title triggered a memory. I went on a trip with friends to North West Italy, near the cinqueterra, around 2000, when I was about 17. It was one of the first times I'd changed my own money into foreign currency and Italy was still using the lira mainly (I just looked it up. Apparently Italy adopted the euro in 1999 but lira remained the legal currency until 2002. I don't really understand how that worked but ok). Anyway, we were all amazed at converting our money into thousands and thousands of lira and found it hilarious to waft ourselves with piles of notes before paying for meals out at local pizza places. Yep, we were dicks.

[ursus arctos]

That was the way it worked for all of the initial Euro countries.

The Euro was valid as a unit of account from 1999, but notes and coins were only valid from 1 Jan 2002.

We were in the US for the holidays, and were thankful that Germany had allowed people to put small amounts of Euros in advance so that we could pay our cab driver from the airport in the new currency on 2 Jan (though he was legally obligated and perfectly happy to accept Deutsche Marks). It was anticipated that it would take months for consumers to make the transition (and it did in Italy), but the Germans switched almost immediately. I think the government even brought forward the end of the transition period by a few months.

You shouldn't feel bad. The Ligurians were happy to overcharge you.

[Nocturnal Submission]

There may be hope yet for Italian politics:

https://twitter.com/EuropeElects/status/1203800455287132163

Yeh, that's the neo-fascists Brothers of Italy (FdI) at 10%, you realise?

[ursus arctos]

Di Maio steps down as head of M5S in a desperate attempt to slow the party's vertiginous decline into irrelevancy.

[ursus arctos]

The referendum on a constitutional amendment to reduce the size of the Italian parliament (being held over two days) has blown past the quorum for validity with almost 70 percent in favour. Poles close this evening.

The number of deputies will be reduced from 630 to 400 and that of senators from 315 to 200

[Diable Rouge]

All the major parties approved, which is unsurprising given the electoral impact.

[Ginger Yellow]

How does the reduction formula work?

[ursus arctos]

The proposed constitutional law would amend Article 56 of the Constitution by reducing the number of Deputies from 630, twelve of which are elected in the overseas constituencies, to 400, with eight to be elected in the overseas constituencies.^[8] According to Paragraph 3 of the Article, the subdivision of seats among the electoral districts is obtained by dividing the number of inhabitants of the country – given by the latest general census of the population – by a factor of 392 (also changed by the new law from the previous factor of 618) and distributing the seats in proportion to the population in each electoral district, on the basis of whole shares and the highest remainders. The number of seats assigned to the overseas constituencies forms an exception to this rule.^[9]

The new law would also amend Article 57 of the Constitution by reducing the number of Senators from 315, six of which are elected in the overseas constituencies, to 200, with four to be elected in the overseas constituencies.^[8] The senators are elected on a regional basis and no Region or Autonomous Province would have fewer than 3 (down from 7) senators, with the exception of Molise and Aosta Valley, which will respectively have two and one senators. Paragraph 4 would also be changed, to state that the subdivision of seats among the Regions and Autonomous Provinces – in accordance with the provisions of the preceding Paragraph – is made in proportion to their population given by the latest general census of the population, on the basis of whole shares and the highest remainders.^[8]

Article 59 of the Constitution would be changed by limiting the total number of incumbent life senators who can be appointed by the President of Italy to five. Previously, each president could appoint five each, cumulating to a total above five.^[8]

The changes to Articles 56 and 57 would take effect after either the end of the current legislature, or anyway at the next dissolution of Parliament, and in any case not earlier than 60 days after the promulgation of the constitutional law.

[Diable Rouge]

Population will be divided by 392, and the constituencies drawn accordingly.