Veneto advances toward regional autonomy after commission approval

The Veneto region has reached a significant milestone in its pursuit of differentiated autonomy following the approval of final agreement schemes by the First Council Commission. This step moves the region closer to managing specific competencies independently, starting with four key areas including civil protection, health, professional sectors, and supplementary social security.

Regional President Luca Zaia described the move as a strike against centralism, aimed at fostering more direct and responsible local decision-making. While majority leaders view this as a concrete realization of the mandate from the 2017 referendum, some critics argue the process has been characterized by decades of political rhetoric without substantial institutional change.

The next phase requires approval from the Regional Council, after which the text will be transmitted to the national government to proceed through the Italian Parliament. While the current focus is on the initial four matters, regional leaders have indicated an objective to eventually secure all 23 competencies permitted by the Constitution.