The Constitutional Court also rejects the third mandate for the autonomous regions.

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WATCH THE VIDEO REPORT. The ban on third terms also applies to the president of the Autonomous Province of Trento and all presidents of the autonomous regions elected by direct universal suffrage. This also applies to Friuli Venezia Giulia. This is the ruling of the Constitutional Court following yesterday's hearing, in which it examined the government's appeal against the law extending the presidential term limit to three.

Pending the filing of the ruling, the Court announced in a statement that it "deemed the provisions challenged by the Prime Minister to be illegitimate for violating the ban on a third consecutive term, which constitutes a general principle of the Republic's legal system and, as such, also binds the primary legislative power of the special autonomies."

This ruling also has profound implications for Friuli Venezia Giulia, as the ban will also apply to President Massimiliano Fedriga, who, at this time, would no longer be eligible to run for regional leadership. The Governor's initial reaction is to remain consistent with the political agreement to extend mandates, regardless of today's ruling.

There had already been strong friction between the League and the Brothers of Italy regarding the third mandate, with the former clearly in favour and the latter against.