2021 Etrurian constitutional referendum

2021 Etrurian constitutional referendum
States that backed reform in green, abolition in red
Location	Etruria
Date	20 August 2021 (2021-08-20)
Voting system	Majority voting
Results
Reform the State Council of the Federation   52.27% Abolish the State Council of the Federation   40.39% Blank or invalid   7.34%

The 2021 Etrurian constitutional referendumwas a controversial vote on the future of the State Council of the Federation, the upper-chamber of the Senate of the Federation held on 20 August, 2021, in which voters were asked whether they supported the proposed reform package of the Etrurian government or supported its abolition and the establishment of an unicameral legislature, also presented by the Etrurian government. The referendum was authorised under the 2021 Law on Constitutional Reform and resulted in 52.27% of voters supporting reform, under the 2021 Law, the result was legally binding. The referendum was marred in controversy over the distinct benefit both options presented to the far-right government, while it also saw the Social Democratic Party and Citizens' Alliance, the two primary opposition parties boycott the campaign and poll. The result was officially recognised in the 2021 Constitutional Amendment, which implemented the proposed reform package, also controversially including pre-produced electoral reforms that were widely accused of gaming the system to the benefit of the Tribune Movement, with gerrymandered constitutiences, malapportionment of seats and a weakening of the Federal Electoral Commission. Owing to the controversy and the boycotts by Etruria's opposition parties, turnout was only 40.30%, the lowest of any electoral event in Etrurian history.

In wake of the referendum's failure to meet the legally mandated threshold, the Etrurian government announced its intention to present the reform package to the Senate, and pass the reforms through legislative means. The defeat also resulted in the sacking of several Tribune Movement officials from positions within the party leadership.

Background

State Council of the Federation

Since the restoration of democracy in 1984 and the adoption of the Fourth Constitution, the State Council of the Federation has served the role of upper-house within the Senate of the Federation. It has 150 members, with each of Etruria's states electing 10 representatives - though the means differs per state, ranging from a PR party list to winner-takes all first past the post system. The upper-house much like its Euclean counter-parts is tasked with scrutinising legislation presented by the lower-house, amending legislation and holding committee hearings on government actions and policies. Owing to Etruria placing sovereignty with its parliament, the Chamber of Representatives is the superior chamber of the two.

Causes of the referendum

In June 2021, a corruption scandal involving the President of the Council, Ettore Mantovano and a number of State Councillors from the Tribune Movement, Citizens' Alliance and Democratic Alternative for Etruria broke in the news, after officers of the Civil Security Service, the federal law-enforcement agency dedicated to fighting organised crime, corruption and terrorism, conducted raids on offices. It was later revealed that the State Councillors had been receiving bribes, kickbacks, gifts and that President Mantovano had requested and secured a regular cut of bribes in exchange for blocking internal investigations into the corrupt practices.

In response, the Tribune government announced plans to radically reform the upper-house, which it claimed had become a "spring of criminality and corruption" and was no longer fit for purpose. The Tribune government over the course of several weeks utilised a Reform Committee chaired by Interior Minister Gianfranco Galizia to explore "viable options for a dramatic overhaul."