After a nation-wide series of corruption scandals in 1992/93 and an electoral shift that replaced large part of the political class and parties in the following elections of 1994, Italian politics seems still all the same. Fifteen years of discussion and three inter-parliamentary commissions have produced - nothing but mountains of worthless paper. The Italian people and the European partners are still waiting for the long overdue reform of the Constitution of 1948, but parties won't agree, because they fear to lose part of their extra-large power extent. Thus the only institutional change in the last twenty years has been imposed by popular decision through referendum. But even this instrument has shown less successful, as a new referendum held in April was thwarted. Now Italian parties prepare to elect a new State President just the traditional way: let's talk about it!
In two decisive referendums in 1991 and 1993, Italian voters have changed the country's electoral system, passing over from a proportional vote to some kind of slightly corrected majority rule. Still the results have not been the expected and since then the number of parties has even grown. Thanks to party splits subsequent to the last election in 1996, the Italian parliament counts now over 40 parties. Nobody is able to keep up with changes and tell you the exact number at this moment.
In such context popular decision by referendum seems to be the only way to reform. Unfortunately even this instrument has grown blunt with the years. With an important referendum held on 18th April Italian reformers tried to cut most of the correction in electoral law in order to pass over to more incisive majority rule and cut minor parties blackmail and payoff positions. Over 90 % of voters expressed favorably on the reform, but unfortunately participation reached only 49,6 %. Since it did not reach the necessary quorum, the votation was invalidated.
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