Italian Senate approves new Bolzano-Laives senatorial district

The Italian Senate has approved an amendment to the electoral law that redraws senatorial districts in the province of Bolzano. Under the new arrangement, the Bolzano district will consist of the capital city and Laives, while the Bassa Atesina region will be moved as a single block into the Merano district.

Proponents of the reform, including Alessandro Urzì of Fratelli d'Italia and Christian Bianchi of Forza Italia, described the outcome as a victory for Italian-speaking representation. They stated the compromise ensures the election of an Italian-speaking senator to represent the interests of the province's Italian population in Rome.

The decision has drawn criticism from political opponents. Former senator Oskar Peterlini and the Süd-Tiroler Freiheit characterized the move as a betrayal of the populations in Bolzano, Oltradige, and Bassa Atesina. While the SVP (Südtiroler Volkspartei) participated in the negotiations to prevent the division of Bassa Atesina, some representatives expressed dissatisfaction with the final result.