Politics of Veneto
Statute Regional Government President: Luca Zaia Vice President: Elisa De Berti Cabinet: Third Zaia government Regional Council President: Roberto Ciambetti Composition (2020–2025 term) (2005–2010; 2010–2015; 2015–2020) Elections Political parties Provinces (Presidents) Municipalities (Mayors of largest cities)
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The politics of Veneto, a region of Italy, takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democracy, whereby the President is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Regional Government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Regional Council.

The Statute of Veneto was promulgated in 1971 and largely rewritten in 2011. Article 1 defines Veneto as an "autonomous Region", "constituted by the Venetian people and the lands of the provinces of Belluno, Padua, Rovigo, Treviso, Venice, Verona and Vicenza", while maintaining "bonds with Venetians in the world". Article 2 sets forth the principle of the "self-government of the Venetian people" and mandates the Region to "promote the historical identity of the Venetian people and civilisation".^[1]

On 22 October 2017 an autonomy referendum took place in Veneto: 57.2% of Venetians participated and 98.1% voted "yes".

The president of Veneto is Luca Zaia of Liga Veneta–Lega, by far the largest party in the Regional Council.

Political history

Prior to the rise of Fascism, most of the deputies elected in Veneto were part of the liberal establishment (see Historical Right, Historical Left and Liberals), which governed Italy for decades, but also the main opposition parties, namely the Radical Party and the Italian Socialist Party, had a good sway among Venetian voters. In the 1919 general election, the first held with proportional representation, the Catholic-inspired Italian People's Party came first with 42.6% (gaining at least 10% more than in any other region) and the Socialists were in second place with 36.2%. In the 1924 general election, which led Italy to dictatorship, Veneto was one of the few regions, along with Lombardy and Piedmont, which did not return an absolute majority to the National Fascist Party.^[2]

From World War II to 1994 Veneto was the heartland of Christian Democracy, which polled 60.5% in the 1953 general election and steadily above 50% until the late 1970s, and led the Regional Government from its establishment in 1970 to 1993. In the 1990s Veneto became a stronghold of the centre-right Pole/House of Freedoms coalition, which governed the region from 1995 to 2010 under Giancarlo Galan of Forza Italia. In 2010 Galan was replaced by Luca Zaia of Liga Veneta–Lega Nord, who obtained a hefty and record-breaking 60.2% of the vote and whose coalition government included The People of Freedom/Forza Italia and, since 2013, the New Centre-Right;^[3] Liga Veneta was the largest party with 35.2% of the vote. Zaia and Liga Veneta were confirmed in 2015, with a reduced but more cohesive majority, due to the split of Tosi List for Veneto and the diminishment of Forza Italia: Zaia won 50.1% of the vote, while Liga Veneta a thumping 40.9%, largely ahead of the opposition Democratic Party's 20.5%.

Veneto is home to Venetian nationalism (or Venetism), a political movement that appeared in the 1970s, demanding political and fiscal autonomy for the region (which is felt by Venetists to be a nation in its own right) and promoting Venetian culture, language and history. This was the background from which Liga Veneta emerged in 1980. In the 1990s and 2000s other Venetist parties (the Union of the Venetian People, the Veneto Autonomous Region Movement, Lega Autonomia Veneta, Liga Veneta Repubblica, North-East Project, etc.) emerged, but they never touched the popularity of Liga Veneta, which was a founding member of Lega Nord in 1991. Some Venetists have campaigned for federal reform and/or autonomy, others (notably including the Venetian National Party, the Party of the Venetians, Veneto State, Venetian Independence, Veneto First, Plebiscito.eu, Venetian Left, Independence We Veneto and We Are Veneto) for outright independence.

Executive branch

The Regional Government is led by the President of Veneto and composed of the President and ten Ministers (Assessori), including a Vice President.

Legislative branch

The Regional Council of Veneto (Consiglio Regionale del Veneto) is composed of 51 members. 49 councillors are elected in provincial constituencies by proportional representation using the largest remainder method with a Droop quota and open lists, while the remaining two are the elected President and the candidate for President who comes second. The winning coalition wins a bonus of seats in order to make sure the elected President has a majority in the Council.^[4][5][6]

The Council is elected for a five-year term, but, if the President suffers a vote of no confidence, resigns or dies, under the simul stabunt, simul cadent (literally: "they will stand together or they will fall together") clause introduced in 1999, also the Council is dissolved and a snap election is called.^[7]

Local government

Political parties and elections

Latest regional election

Main article: 2020 Venetian regional election

The latest regional election took place on 20–21 September 2020.

Luca Zaia of Liga Veneta–Lega (formerly Lega Nord) was re-elected President by a landslide 76.8% of the vote, while his main rival Arturo Lorenzoni stopped at 15.7%. Liga Veneta, which ran an official party list and a list named after Zaia, was confirmed the largest in the region with a combined 61.5% of the vote. The Democratic Party came second with 11.9% and the Brothers of Italy third with 9.6%. The total score of Venetist parties was 65.6%, the highest ever.

20–21 September 2020 Venetian regional election results

Candidates		Votes	%	Seats	Parties		Votes	%	Seat
	Luca Zaia	1,883,959	76.79	1		Zaia for President	916,087	44.57	23
						League – Venetian League[10]	347,832	16.92	9
						Brothers of Italy	196,310	9.55	5
						Forza Italia	73,244	3.56	2
						Venetian Autonomy List	48,932	2.38	1
					Total		1,582,405	77.00	40
	Arturo Lorenzoni	385,768	15.72	1		Democratic Party	244,881	11.92	6
						Veneto We Want	41,275	2.01	1
						Green Europe	34,647	1.69	1
						More Veneto in Europe – Volt	14,246	0.69	–
						Venetian Left	2,405	0.12	–
					Total		337,454	16.42	8
	Enrico Cappelletti	79,662	3.25	–		Five Star Movement	55,281	2.69	1
	Paolo Girotto	21,679	0.88	–		3V Movement	14,916	0.73	–
	Antonio Guadagnini	20,502	0.84	–		Party of Venetians	19,756	0.96	–
	Paolo Benvegnù	18,529	0.76	–		Solidarity Environment Work	11,846	0.58	–
	Daniela Sbrollini	15,198	0.62	–		Italia Viva – PSI – PRI	12,426	0.60	–
	Patrizia Bertelle	14,518	0.59	–		Veneto Ecology Solidarity	9,061	0.44	–
	Simonetta Rubinato	13,703	0.56	–		Veneto for the Autonomies	12,028	0.59	–
Total candidates		2,453,518	100.00	2	Total parties		2,055,173	100.00	49
Source: Ministry of the Interior – Electoral Archive

References

Sources

• Veneto Region – Legislatures
• Regional Council of Veneto – Elections
• Cattaneo Institute – Archive of Election Data
• Ministry of the Interior – Historical Archive of Elections

External links

• Veneto Region
• Regional Council of Veneto
• Constitution of Veneto