Italy’s slow path toward gender rebalancing in political representation

1. Introduction. – 2. The provision in the Italian Constitution of substantive equality and the state’s commitment to remove starting obstacles. – 3. The legislature’s first attempt to remove obstacles and the primacy of formal equality enshrined by the Constitutional Court (Sentence No. 422 of 1995). – 4. The “inevitable” constitutional reforms (of Articles 51 and 117(7) Const.). – 5. The Court’s “courage” and the government’s “inconsistency” (Judgment No. 49 of 2003). – 6. Gender preference in regional legislation: the Government’s persistent stubborn closure and the Court’s clear opening (Sent. No. 4 of 2010). – 7. The steps forward of the state legislature (Laws No. 215 of 2012 and No. 56 of 2014, on regional, provincial, municipal and metropolitan city electoral legislation) and the f luctuations of administrative jurisprudence. – 8. The 2016 constitutional reform project and the promotion of gender balance in representation (Articles 55(2) and 122(1) const.). – 9. The mechanisms of gender rebalancing in the national electoral system (from Law No. 52 of 2015, so-called Italicum to Law 165 of 2017, so-called Rosatellum). – 10. The promotion of equal opportunities between women and men in access to regional elected offices (Law No. 20 of 2016) and measures to support equal access to elected offices in regional electoral legislation. – 11. A new intervention of the Constitutional Court to protect gender equality (Judgment No. 62 of 2022). – 12. Some brief concluding remarks.