Home > 5.1 Nature of the referendum > ITALY- Opinion on the Regulation of Public Participation, Citizen's Bills, Referendums and Popular Initiatives and Amendments to the Provincial Electoral Law of the Autonomous Province of Trento
 
 
 
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Paragraph 61
 

E. Further issues on referendums


Section II -  Advisory referendum


Article 35 – Requirements. An advisory referendum “may” be held at the request of, inter alia, 5000 citizens, one third of the members of the Provincial Council, the provincial Government or one of its members. Does it mean that the holding of the referendum is not compulsory? If it is, one member of the Government would have the same right as 5.000 citizens or one third of the legislative body, and break the unity of governmental decisions. The combination of paragraphs 3 and 4 could be clarified and/or reconsidered: a referendum on matters concerning only a part of the province is expressly envisaged, but other (not concerned) municipalities may participate in the voting.