Italian Chamber of Deputies approved project that reduces the number of parliamentarians by 36%
According to the text of the legislation, the number of deputies would increase from 630 to 400, while the number of senators would fall from 315 to 200.
The measure was supported by the two parties in the allied base, the League and the 5 Star Movement (M5S), as well as the right-wing opposition formed by Forza Italia and Brothers of Italy.
The center and left parties, which in 2016 supported a referendum to take power from the Senate, voted against it.
The project had already been approved in its first reading by the Senate, in February, and will now need to go through a second vote in both branches of Parliament.
At this stage, however, it is only possible to approve or reject the text, without modifications, informs the ANSA agency.
Exterior
The measure also reduces the number of parliamentarians elected abroad from 18 (12 deputies and six senators) to 12 (eight deputies and four senators).
The government plans to unify the electoral college of North and Central America (two deputies and one senator) with that of Africa, Asia and Oceania (one deputy and one senator), but this is not enough to reach the new number of elected parliamentarians abroad.
Therefore, it is likely that there will also be cuts in the constituencies of Europe (five deputies and two senators) and South America (four deputies and two senators).
Currently, two Brazilians occupy seats in the Chamber: the government leader Luis Roberto Lorenzato and the opponent Fausto Longo.
