The newly inaugurated Italian parliament has fulfilled one of its promises as lawmakers voted to cut the size of the number of seats in the legislature on the 8th of October.

The move was overwhelmingly supported in the lower house as 533 deputies voted in favour of cutting the size of the legislature by 345.

Italy currently has 315 elected Senators in the Senate and 630 Deputies in the lower Chamber of Deputies, the largest number of legislators in parliament, after China and the United Kingdom.

The number of seats in the Chamber of Deputies is to be cut to 400 while the seats in the Senate is to be cut to 200.

As part of the governing coalition, one manifesto promise of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which is now in power, is to tackle political elitism and wasteful spending, the Local notes.

How Much Will Be Saved?

Members of the Italian parliament say the cut will save the country €1 billion over 10 years. The Italian Journalist Agency (AGI) calculated that a Deputy costs €230,000 per year and a Senator €249,600. The cut in the lower house would, therefore, save €52.9 million annually and those in the Senate €28.7 million.

Rounding off the saving to €100 million a year to take into account accommodating 345 fewer people, AGI summarize that it is a paltry reduction in the state budget – a perspective which critics have hinged on.

Representation

AGI further calculated the ratio of elected parliamentarians to the number of inhabitants:

• Now: 1/64 thousand (945 parliamentarians for 60.6 million inhabitants)
• After the cut: 1/101 thousand (600 parliamentarians for 60.6 million inhabitants)

The cut will lead to a lower representation, although similar to that of the United Kingdom (1/102 thousand).

According to the Local, “critics have warned however that the cut could affect popular representation, and increase the influence of lobbyists over governing institutions – all for a minimal saving that will have little effect on debt-laden Italy’s book balance.”

As the bill will modify the constitution, it is subject to a potential confirmatory referendum. If citizens approve it, the law may take effect from 2023, when Italy is due for an election.