Italy Approves New Electoral Law After Final Secret Parliamentary Vote

Italy's electoral reform reached its final parliamentary stage with more than voting rules at stake. According to Il Post, approval was also tied to the government's survival and the possibility of early elections.

The proposal would introduce a fully proportional system while guaranteeing a parliamentary majority to any alliance winning more than 42 percent of the vote, The Hindu reported. Opposition parties argued that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government was pushing the changes to improve its chances of winning re-election in 2027, according to The Local.

On October 5, the government put confidence questions on articles 1, 2 and 3 of the electoral law. Article 8 also required approval but was not subject to a confidence vote, TGcom24 reported. The final ballot on the whole text was scheduled for October 8.

On October 6, the Chamber approved the confidence votes on the first two articles. Article 2 passed with 227 votes in favour, following approval of article 1, according to ANSA. Opposition parties called the reform unconstitutional, Adnkronos reported.

On October 7, the third and final confidence vote passed without difficulty, according to TGcom24. By the end of that stage, the Chamber had approved all the articles still under discussion, leaving only the final vote, Il Post reported.

The secret ballot nevertheless carried political risk. On October 8, the Financial Times reported that Meloni had threatened to resign if lawmakers rejected the overhaul.

The Chamber approved the final text that day by 227 votes to 164. The governing majority held together in the secret ballot, according to ANSA, while opposition lawmakers protested against what they called a fraudulent law.

The reform has received definitive parliamentary approval. TGcom24 reported that this was its third parliamentary passage, following Senate changes introducing preference voting alongside fixed list leaders.

Meloni presented the result as evidence that the centre-right remained united, according to Adnkronos. Opposition objections remain political claims, including accusations that the reform is unconstitutional and designed to benefit the government. The supplied coverage reports no court ruling on those claims.

The next electoral test identified in the coverage is the 2027 vote. The central issue will be how the new rules affect competition between alliances, particularly the majority guarantee for an alliance exceeding 42 percent, described by The Hindu. The Local reported the opposition's claim that the changes favour the government's re-election prospects.