Italy facing its OWN Catalonia: Referendums in Lombardy and Venice could TOPPLE EU
ITALY could face its own Catalonia-style break-up with controversial referendums scheduled for both Lombardy and Venice.
By JOEY MILLAR
Express.co.uk
Wed, Oct 4, 2017
This month the Lombardy region and the city of Venice will both vote on new powers of autonomy at referendums which are now taking on increasing levels of controversy.
Previously seen as a low-scale vote on local powers, the referendums are now experiencing symbolic overtones following last Sunday’s Catalonian chaos.
Last weekend more than 800 people were injured by police as a referendum on independence for Catalonia was held – against the express wishes of leaders in Madrid and Brussels.
And now Italy is facing similar chaos with two referendums set to be held on October 22, although in these instances the votes are state-approved and will not face violent opposition.
The autonomy referendums for Lombardy, a region which includes Italy’s second-largest city of Milan, and the travel hotspot of Venice will also differ from Catalonia in that they are not binding.
The referendums will ask voters if they want their regional council to invoke the third paragraph of Article 116 of the Italian Constitution.
This allows regions with a balanced budget to ask the Italian government to entrust them with new powers and a greater degree of autonomy.
The consequences of two yes votes could be shattering for Italy, sparking other separatists movements across the European Union nation.
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