Politics of Veneto
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| This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Veneto |
The Politics of Veneto, Italy takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democracy, whereby the President is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Regional Government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Regional Council. The Statute of Veneto was promulgated on 22 May 1971. The article 2 proclaims the principle of "self-government of the Venetian people".[1]
Once a heartland of the Christian Democracy, in the 1990s Veneto became a stronghold of the centre-right Pole/House of Freedoms coalition, which has governed the region from 1995 to 2010 under Giancarlo Galan (Forza Italia). In 2010 he was replaced by Luca Zaia (Liga Veneta–Lega Nord), whose coalition includes also The People of Freedom, successor of Forza Italia.
Veneto is also home of Venetian nationalism (or Venetism), a political movement that appeared in the 1970s, demanding political and fiscal autonomy for the region (which is felt by Venetists to be a nation in its own right) and promoting Venetian culture, language and history. This was the political background in which Liga Veneta was launched in 1980. Then, other Venetist parties, such as Liga Veneta Repubblica and North-East Project, emerged, but they never touched the popularity of Liga Veneta, which was a founding member of Lega Nord in 1991. Some Venetists campaign for federal reform, others for full independence.
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Executive [edit]
The Regional Government (Giunta Regionale) is presided by the President of the Region (Presidente della Regione), who is elected for a five-year term, and is composed by the President and the Ministers (Assessori), who are currently 12, including a Vice President.[2]
Current composition [edit]
The current regional government has been in charge since 19 April 2010.[3]
| Ministry | Minister | Party |
|---|---|---|
| President | Luca Zaia | LV |
| Vice President | Marino Zorzato | PdL |
| Minister of Budget and Finances | Roberto Ciambetti | LV |
| Minister of Health | Luca Coletto | LV |
| Minister of Economic Development | Maria Luisa Coppola | PdL |
| Minister of Infrastructures and Transports | Renato Chisso | PdL |
| Minister of Public Works, Energy and Security | Alberto Giorgetti | PdL |
| Minister of Agriculture | Franco Manzato | LV |
| Minister of Education and Labour | Elena Donazzan | PdL |
| Minister of Social Affairs | Remo Sernagiotto | PdL |
| Minister of Tourism and International Trade | Marino Finozzi | LV |
| Minister of Environment | Maurizio Conte | LV |
| Minister of Venetian Identity | Daniele Stival | LV |
| Minister of Culture and City Planning | Marino Zorzato | PdL |
List of historical Governments [edit]
Source: Veneto Region
Legislative branch [edit]
The Regional Council of Veneto (Consiglio Regionale del Veneto) is composed of 60 members. 48 councillors are elected in provincial constituencies by proportional representation using the largest remainder method with a Droop quota and open lists, while 12 councillors (elected in bloc) come from a "regional list", including the President-elect. One seat is reserved for the candidate who comes second. If a coalition wins more than 50% of the total seats in the Council with PR, only 6 candidates from the regional list will be chosen and the number of those elected in provincial constituencies will be 54. If the winning coalition receives less than 40% of votes, special seats are added to the Council to ensure a large majority for the President's coalition.[5]
The Council is elected for a five-year term, but, if the President suffers a vote of no confidence, resigns or dies, under the simul stabunt, simul cadent prevision introduced in 1999 (literally they will stand together or they will fall together), also the Council is dissolved and a snap election is called.[6]
Current composition [edit]
| Distribution of Seats in the Regional Council | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Political Group | Leader | 2010 | Now |
| Liga Veneta–Lega Nord | Federico Caner | 20 | 19 |
| The People of Freedom | Dario Bond | 17 | 17 |
| Venetian Democratic Party | Laura Puppato/ Lucio Tiozzo |
14 | 13 |
| Popular Future | Stefano Valdegamberi | – | 3 |
| Italy of Values | Gustavo Franchetto/ Antonino Pipitone |
2 | 2 |
| Union of the Centre | Stefano Valdegamberi/ Stefano Peraro |
3 | 1 |
| Federation of the Left | Pietrangelo Pettenò | 1 | 1 |
| North-East Union | Mariangelo Foggiato | 1 | 1 |
| Bortolussi President | Giuseppe Bortolussi[7] | 1 | 1 |
| Mixed Group | Diego Bottacin[7] | – | 2 |
Sources: Regional Council of Veneto – Groups and Regional Council of Veneto – Members
Local government [edit]
Provinces [edit]
Veneto is divided into seven provinces.
Treviso, Vicenza and Verona are strongholds of Liga Veneta–Lega Nord, while in Padua, the region's most populated, The People of Freedom is the dominant political force. Padua is also the province in the North where the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats scores better. Only two provinces have been traditionally governed by the centre-left (Venice and Rovigo), while Belluno is a swing province. All of them previously were Christian Democratic heartlands.
Of the seven provinces, four (Treviso, Vicenza, Venice and Belluno) currently have a President of Liga Veneta, two (Padua and Verona) of The People of Freedom, and just one (Rovigo) of the Democratic Party. In the 2010 regional election Liga Veneta was the single largest party in Padua, Verona, Treviso, Vicenza and Belluno.
| Province | Inhabitants | President | Party | Election | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Padua | 934,216 | Barbara Degani | The People of Freedom | 2009 | |
| Verona | 920,158 | Giovanni Miozzi | The People of Freedom | 2009 | |
| Treviso | 888,249 | Leonardo Muraro | Liga Veneta | 2011 | |
| Vicenza | 870,740 | Attilio Schneck | Liga Veneta | 2007 | |
| Venice | 863,133 | Francesca Zaccariotto | Liga Veneta | 2009 | |
| Rovigo | 247,884 | Tiziana Virgili | Democratic Party | 2009 | |
| Belluno | 213,474 | Gianpaolo Bottacin | Liga Veneta | 2009 | |
Municipalities [edit]
Of the major 25 comuni (25,000+ inhabitants) of Veneto the Democratic Party controls ten, Liga Veneta eight, The People of Freedom five and minor parties two.
Political parties and elections [edit]
Last regional election [edit]
The last regional election took place on 28–29 March 2010.
Luca Zaia of Liga Veneta–Lega Nord was elected President by a landslide. Liga Veneta became the largest in the region with 35.2%. The total score of Venetist parties was 37.6%, the highest ever. The People of Freedom came second with 24.7% and the Democratic Party third with 20.3%.
| Candidates | Regional lists | Provincial lists | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| votes | % | seats | Parties | votes | % | swing | seats | party | group | |
| Luca Zaia | 1,528,386 | 60.2 | 6 | Liga Veneta–Lega Nord | 788,581 | 35.2 | +20.5 | 18 | 20 | 37 |
| The People of Freedom | 555,006 | 24.7 | -7.5 | 13 | 17 | |||||
| Alliance of the Centre | 18,114 | 0.8 | new | - | - | |||||
| Giuseppe Bortolussi | 738,761 | 29.1 | 1 | Democratic Party | 456,309 | 20.3 | -8.6 | 14 | 15 | 19 |
| Italy of Values | 119,396 | 5.3 | +4.0 | 3 | 3 | |||||
| Federation of the Left | 35,028 | 1.6 | -3.4 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Left Ecology Freedom–Italian Socialist Party | 27,578 | 1.2 | new | - | - | |||||
| IDEA – List for Veneto (incl. Greens) | 15,907 | 0.7 | -2.3 | - | - | |||||
| Liga Veneto Autonomo | 4,390 | 0.2 | new | - | - | |||||
| Antonio De Poli | 162,235 | 6.4 | - | Union of the Centre | 110,417 | 4.9 | -1.5 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| North-East Union | 34,697 | 1.5 | -5.1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| David Borrelli | 80,246 | 3.2 | - | Five Star Movement | 57,848 | 2.6 | new | - | - | - |
| Silvano Polo | 12,891 | 0.5 | - | Party of the Venetians | 7,879 | 0.4 | new | - | - | - |
| Paolo Caratossidis | 9,151 | 0.4 | - | New Force | 6,476 | 0.3 | -0.6 | - | - | - |
| Gianluca Panto | 9,066 | 0.4 | - | Venetian National Party | 6,226 | 0.3 | new | - | - | - |
| Total candidates | 2,540,736 | 100.0 | 7 | Total parties | 2,243,042 | 100.0 | = | 47 | 60 | 60 |
Source: Regional Council of Veneto
Last general election in Veneto [edit]
Chamber of Deputies [edit]
| Coalition leaders | votes | votes (%) | seats | Parties | votes | votes (%) | seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silvio Berlusconi | 935,404 | 31.8 | 12 | The People of Freedom | 549,692 | 18.7 | 7 |
| Lega Nord | 310,173 | 10.5 | 5 | ||||
| Brothers of Italy | 44,383 | 1.5 | - | ||||
| Pensioners' Party | 14,474 | 0.5 | - | ||||
| Others | 16,682 | 0.5 | - | ||||
| Beppe Grillo | 775,862 | 26.3 | 10 | Five Star Movement | 775,862 | 26.3 | 10 |
| Pier Luigi Bersani | 686,970 | 23.3 | 24 | Democratic Party | 628,384 | 21.3 | 22 |
| Left Ecology Freedom | 53,043 | 1.8 | 2 | ||||
| Others | 5,543 | 0.2 | - | ||||
| Mario Monti | 349,353 | 11.9 | 5 | Civic Choice | 296,920 | 10.1 | 4 |
| Union of the Centre | 44,622 | 1.5 | 1 | ||||
| Others | 7,811 | 0.3 | - | ||||
| Oscar Giannino | 67,082 | 2.3 | - | Stop the Decline | 67,082 | 2.3 | - |
| Antonio Ingroia | 39,608 | 1.3 | - | Civil Revolution | 39,608 | 1.3 | - |
| Lodovico Pizzati | 33,274 | 1.1 | - | Venetian Independence | 33,274 | 1.1 | - |
| Fabrizio Comencini | 15,838 | 0.5 | - | Liga Veneta Repubblica | 15,838 | 0.5 | - |
| Others | 41,318 | 1.4 | - | Others | 41,318 | 1.4 | - |
| Total coalitions | 2,944,710 | 100.0 | 51 | Total parties | 2,944,710 | 100.0 | 51 |
Source: Regional Council of Veneto
Senate [edit]
| Coalition leaders | votes | votes (%) | seats | Parties | votes | votes (%) | seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silvio Berlusconi | 895,425 | 32.8 | 14 | The People of Freedom | 523,029 | 19.2 | 9 |
| Lega Nord | 298,412 | 11.0 | 5 | ||||
| Brothers of Italy | 38,511 | 1.4 | - | ||||
| Pensioners' Party | 20,631 | 0.8 | - | ||||
| Others | 14,842 | 0.5 | - | ||||
| Pier Luigi Bersani | 681,501 | 25.0 | 4 | Democratic Party | 633,311 | 23.2 | 4 |
| Left Ecology Freedom | 42,635 | 1.6 | - | ||||
| Others | 5,555 | 0.2 | - | ||||
| Beppe Grillo | 670,089 | 24.6 | 4 | Five Star Movement | 670,089 | 24.6 | 4 |
| Mario Monti | 299,906 | 11.0 | 2 | With Monti for Italy | 299,906 | 11.0 | 2 |
| Oscar Giannino | 50,497 | 1.9 | - | Stop the Decline | 50,497 | 1.9 | - |
| Lodovico Pizzati | 29,696 | 1.1 | - | Venetian Independence | 29,696 | 1.1 | - |
| Antonio Ingroia | 27,576 | 1.0 | - | Civil Revolution | 27,576 | 1.0 | - |
| Fabrizio Comencini | 20,381 | 0.7 | - | Liga Veneta Repubblica | 20,381 | 0.7 | - |
| Others | 48,953 | 1.8 | - | Others | 48,953 | 1.8 | - |
| Total coalitions | 2,724,024 | 100.0 | 24 | Total parties | 2,724,024 | 100.0 | 24 |
Source: Regional Council of Veneto
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References [edit]
- ^ Statuto Regionale - Sito Ufficiale della Regione Veneto
- ^ Veneto Region – Regional Government
- ^ Veneto Region – Regional Government
- ^ Veneto Region – Regional Government
- ^ La Repubblica – Regional electoral law
- ^ Regional Council of Lombardy – 1999 Constitutional law
- ^ a b Giuseppe Bortolussi, Diego Bottacin and Andrea Causin had been members of Toward North.
Sources [edit]
- Veneto Region – Legislatures
- Regional Council of Veneto – Elections
- Cattaneo Institute – Archive of Election Data
- Ministry of the Interior – Historical Archive of Elections
External links [edit]
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