Segre against the premiership: “Alarming aspects that I cannot remain silent: this is how the head of state is downgraded”

The harsh words of Senator Liliana Segre on the constitutional bill: "Separating powers serves as a barrier to avoid falling back into the autocracies prior to the constitutions"

ROME – “I have no doubts about the good intentions of my friend Elisabetta Casellati, to whom I can only express gratitude for the closeness she has always shown me. Since, however, in my opinion, the constitutional reform plan proposed by the Government presents various alarming aspects, I cannot and will not remain silent”. Senator for life Liliana Segre said this while speaking in the Senate during the general discussion on the premiership.
With the entry into force of the constitutional bill, for Segre there would be “a drastic downgrading to the detriment of the head of state, not only deprived of fundamental prerogatives but forced to look from bottom to top at a prime minister with the strength of popular investiture“.

“WITH THE DDL, BARMS AGAINST THE RETURN OF AUTOCRACYS DISAPPEAR”

“We are faced with a profound upheaval that exposes us to even greater dangers. The inspiration behind the premiership is not easily understandable, because it is the objective of a greater stability of governments, than that of direct election, could be pursued by adopting models widely spread in Western democracies which did not expose us to the risks of this so-called premiership”. Senator for life Liliana Segre said this while speaking in the Senate during the general discussion on the premiership.
“Even the tribes of prehistory had a leader – underlined Segre – but only constitutional democracies have separation of powers, checks and balances, that is, the barriers to avoid falling back into those autocracies against which all constitutions were born“.

“WITH PREMIUM MAJORITY RISK TICKET PREMIER-HEAD OF STATE”

“In the event of the expiry of the seven-year period following the electoral competition, there is the risk that the coalitions could be induced to present a ticket in the elections with the Prime Minister candidate in first place and the President of the Republic candidate in second place , with the certainty, even at the sixth ballot, that with the majority prize there will be the numbers to conquer even the highest hill”. Senator for life Liliana Segre said this while speaking in the Senate during the general discussion on the premiership.
Therefore, Segre underlined, “a coalition voted by a very small part of the electorate could be able to win over the prime minister, the government, absolute majority of Parliament, President of the Republic and control of the Constitutional Court and other guarantee bodies, all under the absolute dominion of a head of Government with de facto power of life or death over Parliament. No presidential system would allow centralization of such powers, indeed in those systems the autonomy of Parliament is strongly and constitutionally protected”.