Il “mezzo voto” ai cittadini più giovani: un’anomalia da superare quanto prima

The text derives from the hearing held by the Senate's Committee for Constitutional Affairs, on 14th November 2019, during the exam of a constitutional amendment, already approved by the Chamber of deputies, aimed at lowering the age threshold to vote for the Senate, from 25 to 18 years old. It convincingly supports the constitutional amendment, necessary indeed since a long time, even more so after the confirmation of symmetrical bicameralism derived from the constitutional referendum of 4th December 2016 that rejected a more comprehensive constitutional reform. It then analyses advances and disadvantages of the method of single-issue constitutional reforms, followed during the current legislative term, and argues to use caution in adding further objects to this amendment: the only addition could be aimed at lowering - from 40 to 25 years old - also the right to stand as a candidate for the Senate

1. La parificazione dell’elettorato attivo tra Camera e Senato: un emendamento costituzionale da tempo necessario. – 2. Un emendamento ora indifferibile, alla luce della conferma del bicameralismo paritario. – 3. Il metodo delle riforme costituzionali “single-issue”: origini, vantaggi e svantaggi. – 4. Quali aggiunte? In caso, solo la parificazione (anche) dell’elettorato passivo.