Legal provisions for direct democracy at the regional level

Constitution of1947 with Amendments through 2012

https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Italy_2012.pdf

Regionaland local referenda

Art123

EachRegion shall have a statute which, in compliance with the Constitution, shalllay down the form of government and basic principles for the organisation ofthe Region and the conduct of its business. The statute shall regulate theright to initiate legislation and promote referenda on the laws andadministrative measures of the Region as well as the publication of laws and ofregional regulations.

Regionalstatutes are adopted and amended by the Regional Council with a law approved byan absolute majority of its members, with two subsequent deliberations at aninterval of not less than two months. This law does not require the approval ofthe Government commissioner. The Government of the Republic may submit the constitutionallegitimacy of the regional statutes to the Constitutional Court within thirtydays of their publication.

Thestatute is submitted to popular referendum if one-fiftieth of the electors ofthe Region or one-fifth of the members of the Regional Council so requestwithin three months from its publication. The statute that is submitted toreferendum is not promulgated if it is not approved by the majority of validvotes.

Art132

Bya constitutional law, after consultation with the Regional Councils, a mergerbetween existing Regions or the creation of new Regions having a minimum of onemillion inhabitants may be agreed, when such request has been made by a numberof Municipal Councils representing not less than one-third of the populationsinvolved, and the request has been approved by referendum by a majority of saidpopulations.

TheProvinces and Municipalities which request to be detached from a Region andincorporated in another may be allowed to do so, following a referendum and alaw of the Republic, which obtains the majority of the populations of theProvince or Provinces and of the Municipality or Municipalities concerned, andafter having heard the Regional Councils.