Cassation Court Approves Referendum to Abolish Differentiated Autonomy Law

ROME: Italy’s supreme Cassation Court has approved a referendum to entirely abolish legislation that grants regions the ability to request greater control over local tax revenue allocation. This decision marks a significant step in the ongoing debate over regional autonomy and its implications for national unity.

According to Ansa News Agency, the central office of the supreme court, as reported by the online edition of Rome daily *Repubblica*, deemed it legitimate to call for the complete cancellation of the government’s ‘differentiated autonomy’ law. This ruling follows a Constitutional Court statement last month declaring certain aspects of the law “illegitimate.” The Cassation Court’s 30-page judgment addressed two potential referendum questions, accepting the one for complete abrogation and rejecting a proposal for partial repeal.

The Constitutional Court will now revisit the connection between the autonomy law and the budget law, which referendum proponents argue is merely instrumental. Previously, th
e Constitutional Court found that claims of the entire law’s unconstitutionality were “not founded,” but acknowledged specific sections as “illegitimate.” These findings were prompted by objections from several regional governments.

Opposition parties contend that the law threatens national unity and will exacerbate the economic divide between Italy’s prosperous north and its poorer southern regions. In response, they have gathered the necessary signatures to support the referendum’s call for abolishing the law.

Among the Constitutional Court’s concerns was the legitimacy of updating minimum levels of service (LEPs) via a decree from the premier, and the potential weakening of national solidarity due to regions being given the option, rather than the obligation, to contribute to public finance objectives. The court has tasked parliament with resolving these identified issues.