Italy Approves Meloni's Electoral Reform Giving Election Winners Bonus Seats

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pushed an electoral reform built around bonus seats for clear election winners. According to Die Zeit, she argues that the change will make parliamentary majorities easier to form, but could also benefit from it herself.

The dispute is about how much parliamentary power an election victory should deliver. Al Jazeera reported that critics consider the measure undemocratic because it could give a winning coalition outsized power in parliament.

Meloni's effort had previously failed in July, according to Die Welt. The supplied coverage does not give the date of that setback or explain what prevented passage then.

On October 8, Parliament approved the reform in a secret ballot, Der Spiegel reported. That brought Meloni's proposal through Parliament despite opposition criticism.

CNN Brasil reported that the lower house gave final approval on October 8, setting the framework for national elections in 2027. ARD Tagesschau also described the reform as definitively adopted.

The reform has passed, but the political argument remains sharply divided. According to the BBC, Meloni says it will deliver more stable government, while opposition parties say her purpose is to stay in power.

The coverage identifies bonus seats as the central change but does not specify the qualifying threshold or the number of additional seats. Those details matter to assessing how much the reform could alter the balance of power.

The next electoral test identified in the coverage is the national election in 2027. The central question is how the bonus seats will affect the winning coalition's parliamentary strength under the new rules described by CNN Brasil.

ARD Tagesschau also reported constitutional concerns. The supplied coverage does not identify a filed legal challenge or a timetable for any constitutional review.