In Italy we have so many laws that we forget about those that already exist
Antonio Polito / CorriereTv
In Italy we have so many laws that we forget about those that already exist. Take the case of the Government’s recent provision to cut healthcare waiting lists: the most discussed provision of that provision, which also sparked an electoral controversy between Elly Schlein and Giorgia Meloni.
It already existed: in fact, since 1998, thanks to law 124, article three, paragraph 13, the citizen can claim the healthcare service privately within the city. If the waiting list exceeds the prescribed deadlines and without paying anything other than the ticket or even for free if it is exempt from tickets. Just send an email to the relevant ASL, or even better a PEC.
But who knows? I learned these things by reading Salute, the Corriere weekly newspaper engaged in a meritorious work of making users and citizens aware of their rights, which are often ignored or even forgotten. But it is truly strange that every time we have to start over from scratch. We now know very well what the remedies to our problems are, but the problems always remain unsolved after making a new law.
In fact, it is estimated that the Italian legislative production of Italian legislation has ever reached the beauty of 160,000 pieces, which is equivalent to ten times the number of all existing laws in France and Germany, added together. And the problem is that each new law does not cancel the old one. And so a house of cards is created which is now impenetrable for the legislator himself.
A few years ago an economist, Nicola Rossi, proposed establishing the system of expiring laws, that is, after a certain number of years the law automatically expires, unless it is explicitly renewed. Then at least we would ask ourselves why it didn’t work.
07 June 2024
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