Autonomy of the Regions, the Chamber sets deadlines for January

The Chamber of Deputies approved today, November 3, 2026, the proposal to set January 2027 as the deadline for examining bills on differentiated autonomy for four regions of Northern Italy. The measures concern Veneto, Lombardy, Liguria, and Piedmont.

A specific deadline has been established for each region to conclude the examination in the Chamber. Veneto will have until January 20, Liguria until January 21, Lombardy until January 27, and Piedmont until January 28, 2027. The texts passed by a majority with vote margins ranging from 32 to 44.

The path towards differentiated autonomy for some Italian regions began with the constitutional reform of 2001, which introduced the new Title V of the Constitution. Article 116, paragraph three, provides for the possibility for ordinary statute regions to request "further forms and particular conditions of autonomy," meaning the transfer of functions and powers from the central State to the regions themselves, on matters such as education, health, infrastructure, and the environment.

The Veneto, Lombardy, and Emilia-Romagna regions were the first to submit their requests in 2017-2018, followed by Liguria and Piedmont. The process has been long and complex, characterized by technical negotiations with the government and heated political debate over the risks of "à la carte federalism" and potential disparities between rich and poor regions. Today's approval of the terms for parliamentary examination represents a decisive step towards the realization of these agreements, after years of negotiations.