ROME — The final vote on the bill to reform the Senate will take place on October 13 at the Palazzo Madama in Rome, despite the wish of Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, for it to take place earlier. 

  When the Democratic Party Senate Whip, Luigi Zanda, requested a speed-up in the process of voting on the reform to the Senate, Pietro Grasso, President of the Senate, responded “I am not the Executioner of the Constitution”. 

  This recent clash took place during the meeting of leaders, during which calendar dates were decided for the next sittings. 

  Whilst the government pushed for the vote to take place on October 8, and the opposition pushed for October 15, a compromise was reached, falling on October 13. However, Matteo Renzi is not happy about this date, having already had to deal with millions of amendments proposed by the Lega Nord (Northern League). 

  Tension between Grasso and the Democratic Party has also been increasing over the last few days, as Renzi warned him that if he chose to accept to amendments to Article 2 that it would be an “unusual choice”, the Senate president responded “not even the Mafia could stop me.”