Meloni Hails South Tyrol Autonomy Reform as Historical Milestone

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has praised the recent approval of the reform to South Tyrol’s Autonomy Statute, describing it as a historical milestone that resolves a contentious issue persisting for over 25 years. The reform, passed by the Italian Senate with a large majority, aims to restore standards established in the 1992 UN dispute settlement and clarify institutional structures within the framework of national cohesion. Meloni emphasized that the government fulfilled its political responsibility by finding a compromise that balances regional needs with national unity, thereby ending legal uncertainties triggered by the 2001 constitutional reform. The Prime Minister highlighted the fruitful cooperation with the South Tyrolean People's Party and reaffirmed friendly relations with Austria through an official exchange of notes. The legislation not only returns previously lost competencies to the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano but also grants new exclusive responsibilities. Meloni stated that this achievement strengthens trust between the state and the Trentino-Alto Adige region, securing the area's economic and social fabric while demonstrating that autonomy and national unity are inseparable principles.