article published in the il manifesto on Oct. 14, 2015

On the evening of Oct. 13, the Italian Senate passed a controversial amendment to the nation’s constitution that would weaken Parliament’s upper house by scrapping the direct election of senators and reducing their number by two-thirds.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi says the Senate reform will lead to a faster, more effective government, resolving a growing problem of shifting allegiances in Parliament. But critics and the opposition say the reforms centralize power and upend checks and balances instituted after the fall of dictatorship in World War II. A series of legislative hurdles remain for the bill to become law.