Renzi's Reforms Deserve Support

In Sunday’s referendum, Italy will be voting on two things. The first is the question on the ballot -- whether to support Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s proposal for constitutional reform. The second is whether the country wants Renzi, who’s made this vote a test of confidence, to stay in charge. The answer to both questions should be yes.

First, consider the reform on its merits. Renzi’s plan is complicated, and he hasn’t explained it well, yet the need for change is clear. For years, Italy has been plagued by chronic inability to pursue a sustained and coherent program of policy. The constitutional changes would do something to address that, mainly by narrowing the role of the Senate (currently co-equal with the Chamber of Deputies) and moving some competences from regional authorities to the center. The net effect would be to give the central government more power.