With a single judgment (sent. 1/2014), the Italian Constitutional Court has almost
revolutionized Parliamentary election law, the national political landscape, the types of
controversies with which it deals, and the means through which it reviews domestic
legislation. In order to do so, the Court drew from globalized concepts and levels of
scrutiny such as the so-called “proportionality test,” making explicit references to foreign
decisions, while downplaying the Constitutional Framers’ intention. Although this decision
has brought Italy closer in line with the trends that characterize contemporary global
constitutionalism, its concrete effects on Italian law and the political system are not so
promising or clear. This paper investigates the explicit and implicit sources of inspiration
for the decision, its hidden implications, and it resonates with globalized trends in
constitutional law
