Parliament opens new session amid clashes over territorial map; DP warns of Constitutional Court challenges and referendums

Members of Parliament will return to Parliament on September 8, with a series of unfinished reforms on the agenda that were left pending because of the political clash. The new session is expected to be accompanied by continued tensions between the ruling majority and the opposition.

The first issue set to test relations between the two sides is the new territorial map. The Socialists aim for the 2027 local elections to be held under a different division, with 46 municipalities, while approval of the new map is expected to take place in early October. The Democrats, on the other hand, are calling for any changes to be agreed through political consensus.

“We recall here, since you referred to the decisions of the Electoral College and the Constitutional Court regarding the 2014 reform, that we brought the matter before the Constitutional Court. The subject of the debate in court was also whether the three-fifths majority required to approve such a reform calls for substantial consensus among the main political forces for the approval of such a reform, or merely for a given majority to have a formal number of votes, which would make the reform subject to the electoral will to achieve an election result at a particular moment,” said DP MP Ivi Kaso.

Without the numbers needed to block the project in Parliament, the opposition is considering two avenues of opposition. The first is to refer the map to the Constitutional Court, while the second involves organizing local referendums in 15 local government units that do not accept being merged with larger municipalities.

“The DP’s political position is clear: it does not recognize this unilateral product, which would deliver victory at the table in the 2027 local elections and pave the way for the seizure of another term in the general elections, whenever they may be held. One of the options articulated by the party chairman to oppose it is the holding of local referendums, which of course have their own complexity and difficulties in being organized,” said Ivi Kaso.

Despite the divisions over the territorial reform, the two main political forces have maintained cooperation on drafting the new Electoral Code. The Socialists and Democrats have reached an agreement on electoral reform.

Parliament’s proceedings were postponed until Tuesday because of the canonization of “Mother Teresa.” On the morning of September 8, the Conference of Chairpersons will meet to approve the parliamentary calendar, which also includes legal amendments providing for an increase in magistrates’ salaries.

The plenary session will begin at 17:00 and will be ceremonial in nature, while the main message is expected to be delivered by the Speaker of Parliament. The return of MPs after the recess is also expected to be accompanied by a protest, as citizens will greet them at the entrance to Parliament with eggs in their hands.