On Sunday, Italians will vote on proposed reforms to the country’s constitution. The ruling Democratic Party and its prime minister, Matteo Renzi, drew up the bill, and it outlines changes to some forty-seven constitutional articles. If passed, it would represent the biggest revision of Italy’s constitution since it came into force in 1948.

The reforms aim to significantly alter the legislative process, calling for major changes to both parliamentary houses’ functions, which will surely limit the effectiveness of popular sovereignty. It also aims to redistribute power between the central state and the regional governments, undermining local autonomy. Finally, it would grant more power to the executive branch, particularly to the president of the republic and the Constitutional Court. These reforms work against the constitutional framers’ plan to avoid an excessive concentration of power.

Renzi and the Democratic Party have presented the bill as a necessary step for Italy to “climb out of the morass,” as the prime minister likes to say. In order to convince the Italian people to vote “yes,” they have integrated some popular demands. For example, they promise it will cut the costs of politics. According to the state accounting office, the Senate reform — which would reduce the number of senators, change the house’s composition, and alter election procedures — would save €57 million a year; enough to buy one espresso for each and every Italian!