Adnkronos Rome, 7 Feb. (Adnkronos) – "Today's ruling by the Court on the autonomy referendum signals first of all that, following its previous destructive ruling, two enormous gaps had opened up: the distinction between subjects and functions was introduced, so that only the latter can be devolved; regarding the delegation on the so-called Lep, as the Court now confirms, the new criteria do not exist and the current ones are no longer effective".
"The Court also explicitly states a twofold caution that makes the close implementation of autonomy difficult and that seriously delimits it again even for matters that as such would be non-Lep, those on which Veneto in particular would like to deal now: if the matter as such would be non-Lep, if within it a function is carved out that affects rights, the Lep must also be determined first; to this must be added the fact that in light of some changes that have occurred, also in connection with the evolution of the European legal system, on two Non-Lep matters nothing can be devolved: foreign trade and professions".
"There is very little left to discuss at this stage, perhaps almost nothing: 'transferring specific functions concerning some non-Lep matters, provided that they do not affect a civil or social right and that the regional initiative is justified in light of the principle of subsidiarity. In these conditions, what would the referendum have been voted on? The Court says: 'Not on an ordinary law amended by a ruling of this Court, but for or against differentiated regionalism... a radical identity polarization on differentiated autonomy as such, and ultimately on art. 116, third paragraph, of the Constitution, which cannot be the subject of an abrogative referendum, but only of constitutional revision'. A predictable and expected ruling, but above all very clear".