The legacy of Silvio Berlusconi’s five years as Italian Prime Minister comes under renewed assault this weekend as votes are cast in a referendum on 50 constitutional changes granting the regions devolution and handing the prime minister greater powers.
The increase in prime ministerial powers has, for the Left, raised the spectre of an authoritarian strongman, which the post-war Italian Constitution was designed to prevent after the Mussolini era.
Romano Prodi, the centre-left Prime Minister who replaced Signor Berlusconi in April, urged voters today to reject the changes, which have to be voted on as a package.
Turnout in the referendum on Sunday and Monday is likely to be low, partly because many will prefer the beach to the polling booth in the heatwave, but