Italian Parties Push for Regional Autonomy Reforms

In the province of Cosenza, the Democratic Party (PD) is promoting a new operational model aimed at strengthening the party’s presence in local territories and overcoming internal factionalism. Party leaders emphasize the need to rebuild a federated structure that can better represent communities across Calabria.

Separately, Lega president Attilio Fontana outlined a proposal for a “double Lega” that would create regional branches with greater autonomy, drawing inspiration from Germany’s CDU/CSU model. Fontana said, “Dobbiamo fare in modo che vengano ascoltati i territori,” and stressed that the reform does not aim to split the party but to assign distinct competencies: “Non vedo una diarchia, vedo competenze diverse, funzioni diverse.” The plan seeks separate budgets, candidate‑selection authority, and local decision‑making for regions such as Lombardy and Veneto while retaining national unity.

Both parties are grappling with internal tensions as they debate how to balance national coordination with regional interests, reflecting a broader trend in Italian politics toward increased territorial representation.