Istalia

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From the Cisavugli statute to the identity turning point: Giunio Reform more than an institutional reorganization

Cisavuglian PNL proposal relaunches the institutional and symbolic debate: there is talk of direct election and retourn to the historic name "Silicia", while in Fidelia the idea of a strong link with the imperial dynasty gains strength

The Regional Council of Cisavugli

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March 5653

PONTELASA - The first formal proposal for a regional statute since the Giunio Reform of the Regions came into force was presented in the Regional Council of Cisavugli. It was signed by local representatives of the Partito Nazional Liberale, with the support of Democrazia & Libertà. The proposal, although destined to fail due to a lack of cross-party consensus, nevertheless had a significant impact on the public and political debate.

The text provides for the introduction of the direct election of the Governor and an electoral system that assigns 60% of the seats in the Regional Council to the winning coalition, marking a clear break with the current model, of a fully parliamentary type, where the Executive and the Governor are elected internally by the Council. However, the initiative has encountered strong resistance not only from the opposition, but also from two majority parties: the Hosian Democratic Union and the Liberal Republican Party, which have expressed doubts about the system deemed unbalanced.

According to the promoters, it is a "provocative proposal", more oriented to stimulate debate than to become law. The objective of the PNL is to start the process of consultation and writing of a real statute, which, it is now almost certain, will be oriented towards a semi-parliamentary model. UOD and PRL have in fact said they are in favor of such a solution, as long as it includes more modest majority bonuses and a system that ties the political fate of the Governor to that of the Council, and vice versa. The debate has just begun, but according to internal sources, the general framework of the future institutional architecture seems already outlined.

Another element of the proposal has attracted attention: the use of the term "Silicia" (pronounced sih-LEE-chee-ah, with the full "-ia" as in Amelia) to designate the region, instead of the current official name "Cisavugli". An apparent detail, which in reality touches on an identity theme deeply felt by a significant part of the population. The term "Silicia" is the name by which the region has been historically known from the First to the Sixth Republic, passing through the First Empire. Its replacement with "Cisavugli" dates back to the 30s of 5000, under the Union of Quanzar and Alaria, which renamed all the regions except Trivendito, a reform that has lasted until today, as a sign of rupture with the unitary Istalia.

The name "Cisavugli" derives from the archaic term "Kisawuli", used during the period of the Emirate of Quanzar to indicate the region as "Wilaya Kisawuli", and which in turn dates back to the Majatran expression "Kisāwuliyy", or "land of those who wear the cloak", a reference and homage to the habit of the mountain populations of the interior of wearing cloaks that covered their head and body. These communities, descendants of the pre-Selucian and pre-Colsamite people of the island, allied with the Ahmadi Caliphate, favoring the conquest and converting en masse, in reaction to the centuries-old Selucian and even earlier Colsamite domination, accused to be usurpers who had driven their ancestors to live on the harsh terrain of the mountains and the internal plateau.

The change of name to "Silicia" at the birth of the First Republic was therefore a desired break with the Ahamdi and Quanzari past, with a return to a Selucian linguistic root, linked to the definition "Siliciana Terra", meaning "siliceous land", due to the mountainous and rocky landscape of the island. The term, derived from "silex, silicis" ("Flintstone"), was widely used among the Selucian colonists, and directly recalled the classical heritage considered to be the foundation of the Istalian national identity.

Although the official name is now "Cisavugli", the name has never aroused a strong sense of belonging. Indeed, according to many analysts, it would be perceived as foreign or even forced. The debate resurfaced forcefully after the Third Restoration, and the use of "Silicia" in the draft statute is nothing but the formalization of a trend already widespread in academic, political and cultural circles.

The issue, however, is not confined to the island: even in the region of Fidelia, in the south of the Peninsula, voices have been raised in favor of a re-examination of the official name.

Here too, in fact, a debate on the name of the region has received a boost from the reform, although the debate has more recent roots, dating back to the period immediately following the Third Restoration, and is developing in a decidedly different direction. The one who decades ago started the discussion was a war veteran and fervent patriot, Carlo Ricciardi, elected to the first parliament of the Imperial State and then active in regional politics. It was him, a few months after the end of the conflict, who presented to the Regional Council the proposal to rename the region with the name of "Appiana", in homage to the Imperial House Appiano De Borromei and its cadet branch, Appiano-Solari, that reigns today.

The proposal re-emerged recently with the debate around the reform of the Regions, and in Fidelia is founding fertile ground, a region that, more than any other, has benefited from the Restoration: Fidelia is today among the most flourishing areas of the country in terms of economic growth, employment and widespread well-being. It is the most visited region by tourists, and not only for the magnificence of Romula, the historic capital and favorite destination, and today returned to be a large financial and industrial hub, but also for its provinces, rich in food and wine attractions, picturesque villages, bucolic landscapes and a lush nature that alternates with historical ruins, ancient monasteries and hills inhabited by communities still deeply rooted.

In recent years, a further engine of development has also been added: the mining sector, with the opening of the rare earth mines in the Pheykran basin and the Lithium Mines near the ruins of the ancient city of Fidelia, from which the region currently takes its name, and which have given impetus to the growth of a whole thriving supply chain.

Today, therefore, there is no shortage of reasons to look to the future with an eye on the imperial tradition: many citizens of the southern Peninsula identify with the idea of paying homage to the Imperial House, whose origins are rooted in this very land and whose ancestral seat is in Romula.

Ultimately, Giunio Reform of the Regions has produced much more than a simple institutional reorganization: it has opened a path to a deeper collective reflection, capable of reactivating symbolic, historical and identity dynamics that seemed dormant, and which today return to speak forcefully to the heart of local communities.