Third term: Council of Ministers challenges Trentino law, League votes against

The Council of Ministers has decided to challenge the law of the Autonomous Province of Trento on the third mandate before the Constitutional Court . The decision was made after a discussion between ministers during the meeting, and with the League voting against.

This possible move would be part of a broader framework of confrontation between special autonomy and constitutional principles, with implications also for other autonomous regions such as Friuli Venezia Giulia.

The marriage between the Lega Nord and Melonians, never idyllic in Trento, is also creaking in Rome, at least as far as the rules on the third mandate to lead a region are concerned. To date, the rule in force is according to which a regional president can be elected for a maximum of two consecutive terms.

A month ago, the Provincial Council of Trento approved the bill, presented by the League, which increases the maximum consecutive mandates for the presidents of the autonomous province from two to three. The proposal, which received 19 votes in favor and 16 against, passed thanks to the division that occurred in the Brothers of Italy group. Carlo Daldoss and Christian Girardi voted in favor, while the other two Fdi members voted against. The two dissidents then announced their exit from the party.

The government's decision is also based on the Constitutional Court ruling that struck down the Campania regional law , passed to allow President Vincenzo De Luca to run for a third term. According to the Court, the two-term limit serves to preserve democratic balance and cannot be circumvented by regional regulations . But that ruling concerned a region with an ordinary statute, leaving room for interpretation for autonomous regions and provinces, such as Trento, which instead enjoy a special statute with broad legislative powers.

The issue will also have an impact on Friuli Venezia Giulia , which is also a region with a special statute. Here, President Massimiliano Fedriga is also aiming for a third term.

The 2025 regional elections could therefore become quite heated on the issues of the changeover at the helm of the special autonomies and therefore, by extension, on the internal tensions within the centre-right, with possible effects on alliances and electoral strategies.