Shaping reform: the role of experts in the constitutional revision process. The case of Italy

Draft Law no. 935, together with Draft Law no. 830, proposes a constitutional revision of Italy’s system of government, advocating for the direct election of the Prime Minister. The two constitutional draft laws were jointly analyzed by the Senate’s First Constitutional Affairs Committee from November 2023 to April 2024. Informal hearings with experts contributed to revising the government’s text. While key provisions, such as the direct election of the Prime Minister, have been retained, many others were modified, reflecting the experts’ contributions. This paper explores the role of experts in the reform process, examining the initially proposed legislative measures, the opinions expressed during the informal hearings, and the text approved by the Senate. By analyzing the contributions that influenced the amendments to the reform, we conclude that experts could have played a significant role in the informal hearings process of Italy’s constitutional revision.