We’re going to vote in April with a law that prevents citizens from choosing their own representative in Parliament. We got this law from the Berlusconi government and we need to keep that in mind at the moment of voting. The current electoral law separates the parties from society. That’s a fact. Criticism of the Prodi government, that Italia dei Valori participated in, for not having immediately restored the previous electoral law that was born from a referendum, have foundation, but only in principle. In fact, they don’t take into account that we wouldn’t have got the majority in the Senate. A new law would never have got through. The party secretaries without a doubt, all have an advantage from the “piggish” Calderoli law. The deputies and senators, appointed at the desktop, are always faithful party functionaries.
Italia dei Valori cannot change this law just for itself, but it can do two things. The first is to choose the names of its candidates from civil society and to make the names public as soon as possible. The second, if it gets into government, is to operate to change the electoral law in the first 100 days. And give back a voice to the voters.
I want to remind you that Italia dei Valori, in the 2006 national elections did not put up candidates who had criminal convictions or ongoing trials.