1953 – The passing of the Bill for electoral reform
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Subject/contents: The reform of the electoral law was passed after a long and bitter battle in parliament, harder than that which had seen the Left opposing Italy’s joining the Atlantic Alliance in ’49. In parliament the debate regarding the Bill took place amid an atmosphere of great tension, while the country was witnessing strikes and demonstrations against the Government. The parliamentary debate begun in the Chamber of Deputies on 7th December, but the procedural problems which the majority faced and above all the very long-running and strong stonewalling by the oppositions, as well as dissent on the part of the representatives of the lay “Centre”parties, all contributed to make the Bill’s parliamentary process very tormented. The stonewalling only came to an end when the Government asked for and obtained a vote of confidence (with 339 votes from 364 voters) after the Socialist and Communist MP’s had left the chamber. The oppositions fight continued in the Senate where the aging president Giuseppe Paratore resigned due to both his ill-health and his reservations regarding the particular procedures required to obtain the vote of confidence, and he was replaced by Meuccio Ruini. The Bill was finally passed with 174 votes in favour out of 177 (three voters abstained in the 29th March vote before the House which the senators of the various Left wing groups did not take part in).
“The passing of the Bill for electoral reform”
Cartoon taken from “the strip cartoon history of the D.C.” published in “La Discussione”, a. XXVII, 1st October 1979, n. 20. p.30
1953 – The passing of the Bill for electoral reform
