Crisi della rappresentanza e mandato imperativo
Crisi della rappresentanza e mandato imperativo
Ficha técnica
The essay deals with the crisis of representation, which is visible in the growth of abstentions and protest voting. The crisis concerns the loss of confidence of citizens towards their representatives, and the lack of democratic representativeness in assemblies elected with majoritarian electoral systems. Today some form of imperative mandate is often proposed as a possible remedy to the tendency of deputies and councilors to «betray» their electors. The author examines the reasons that have been put forward for and against this form of representation throughout history, from authors such as Rousseau, Siéyes, Burke, Marx, Max Adler. The imperative mandate was typical of pre-modern parliaments. Two factors explain its eventual abandonment: one is of a technical nature, and the other of a political nature. On a technical level, with the widening of the range of issues covered by legislation, it becomes impossible to predict in advance what the discussion will focus on. Moreover, it would be problematic continually to suspend the sessions because the representatives have to return to their constituents to ask for an additional mandate. On the political front, with the advent of universal suffrage there is the problem of finding a compromise between the various interests and opinions represented in parliament. According to the theorists of Five Stars Movement, led by Beppe Grillo, some of these difficulties disappear with the digital revolution, allowing representatives to remain in constant contact with their voters. Amendment of Article 67 of the Italian Constitution is therefore believed to be desirable, thereby introducing the imperative mandate and the possibility of recalling representatives. The author criticizes these positions, confirming the validity of the classical objections against the imperative mandate. She also observes that the imperative mandate requires collective subjects with a definite identity and an already-formed will, of which delegates should merely be the spokemen. The imperative mandate has worked, at least in part, where something like that existed, as in Porto Alegre. This is not the case with the Five Stars Movement, which brought together around Beppe Grillo's blog people on both the right and left.
