Venice-Mestre separation referendum (Ansa)

  • Council of State: legitimate Venice-Mestre referendum

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01 December 2019Perhaps they do not love each other, they certainly do not intend to separate: the fifth attempt to transform Venice and Mestre into two separate municipalities with a referendum is bound to fail. Unless unlikely plot twists, a few hours after the polls closed, scheduled at 11pm, the quorum target will not be hit. At 7 pm, 18.64% of voters went to the seats.

The inhabitants of the mainland made the tip of the scale lean towards administrative cohabitation, deserting the vote, with 14.72%.

A more massive inflow, but numerically less 'heavy', has occurred in the historic center (27.16%) and in the islands of the lagoon (23.56%).

In a climate of fake news and political controversy, especially on social media, the umpteenth technical separation test was carried out involving just over 206 thousand voters. Too many economic interests at stake, they repeat from the front of the yes, pointing out that of the 20 million euros that arrive at the coffers of the Municipality by virtue of the Special Law and donations for Venice, more or less half ends up being diverted to the mainland .

On the contrary, on the side of the 'no' many local administrators have highlighted the economic costs (particularly in transport) and the criticality of a possible fracture of the Municipality in two distinct realities. The same mayor Luigi Brugnaro has never hidden the conviction that the referendum initiative was in contrast with the law on metropolitan cities, invited to abstention. The majority forces in the Municipality have aligned themselves with the 'do not vote', while the opposition has split. On the one hand, the Democratic Party, which invited the 'no' to be crossed out on the card, and on the other, the M5S favorable to 'yes' in the name of 'respect for the popular will'.

The appointment with the seats has arrived, however, in an 'emotionally difficult' time for the lagoon city, brought to its knees by the exceptional high waters that have followed each other in recent days, causing millions of damages. Without neglecting that large part of those working in Venice, and that the tourist appeal of the city benefits economically and employment, resides right on the mainland and therefore has no interest in seeing the two realities divided by the fence of different administrations. More than in the past, therefore, the most evident datum was the dissatisfaction with the polls.

Also in 1979, in 1989, in 1994 the 'no' always prevailed and at the attempt of 2003, the fourth, it came below the quorum with 39%. But tonight the attendance figure of less than 19% appears as a tombstone on the aspirations of the two cities to no longer cross their destinies. Just the threshold of 50% plus one of the voters established for the consultation could become a new battleground for irreducible supporters of separation, with a flurry of appeals already announced on the legitimacy of the dam.