Italian Government Challenges Trentino’s Third-Term Law, League Votes Against
Rome, May 19, 2025 – In a move that has exposed cracks within Italy’s governing coalition, the Council of Ministers (CDM) has decided to challenge a Trentino law allowing the provincial president to serve a third consecutive term. The decision, announced on Monday, will see the government appeal to the Constitutional Court to determine whether special-status regions like Trentino-Alto Adige must adhere to national laws capping mandates or can leverage their autonomy to set their own rules. However, the League, a key coalition partner, voted against the challenge, underscoring internal divisions.
The contested Trentino law, passed by the provincial council, permits the president of the Autonomous Province of Trento to run for a third term, defying national legislation that limits regional and local leaders to two consecutive terms. Minister for Institutional Reforms and Regulatory Simplification Elisabetta Casellati, who proposed the challenge, emphasized that the appeal is not an attack on Trentino’s autonomy but a necessary step to clarify constitutional boundaries. “The government’s duty is to ensure legal clarity,” Casellati said in a statement. “We are asking the Constitutional Court to define whether special-status regions are exempt from national mandate limits or must align with them.”
The decision has sparked controversy, particularly in Trentino, where the law is seen as a legitimate exercise of the region’s special autonomy, granted under Italy’s Constitution and reinforced by international agreements like the 1946 De Gasperi-Gruber Agreement. The League, which has long championed regional autonomy, broke ranks with its coalition partners, voting against the CDM’s motion. League representatives argued that challenging the law undermines Trentino’s unique status and disregards the will of its voters.
Alessandro Bertoldi, a prominent League figure in Trentino, condemned the government’s move, calling it “an affront to the principles of autonomy enshrined in international treaties.” He added, “Trentino’s special status is not a privilege but a right, and this challenge risks eroding the trust of our citizens in the national government.” The League’s dissent reflects its broader commitment to defending the powers of Italy’s regions, particularly those with special statutes like Trentino-Alto Adige.
The Constitutional Court’s ruling, expected in the coming months, could set a precedent for other special-status regions, such as Sicily and Sardinia, which also enjoy varying degrees of legislative autonomy. Legal experts suggest the case hinges on whether the court views mandate limits as a matter of national constitutional principle or as a policy area where regional autonomy prevails.
Political analysts see the League’s opposition as a strategic move to bolster its influence in northern regions, where it enjoys significant support. “The League is signaling to its base that it remains the staunchest defender of regional rights, even at the cost of coalition unity,” said Laura Moretti, a political scientist at the University of Bologna. However, she warned that such public rifts could weaken the government’s cohesion at a time when it faces pressing economic and social challenges.
The Trentino mandate dispute is the latest in a series of tensions between Rome and Italy’s autonomous regions, which have frequently clashed over the scope of their powers. As the Constitutional Court prepares to weigh in, the outcome will likely reverberate beyond Trentino, shaping the delicate balance between national unity and regional autonomy in Italy’s complex federal framework.
By Staff Writer