New blow for Meloni: Parliament rejects electoral reform by a single vote

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has faced another serious setback in Parliament, after her initiative to change the electoral system failed to pass, even though government allies had pledged to support it.

The Italian executive’s proposal was rejected by an extremely narrow margin, with 188 votes against and 187 in favor, giving the opposition a new political weapon to strike with. This development is seen as a heavy loss for Meloni, who has long sought to overhaul the electoral mechanism from its foundations.

Her long-term plan envisions that in the future, citizens will vote directly for the prime minister’s post, while the winning political force will receive a bonus of seats to ensure stable governance. However, the point put to a vote did not include the entire reform package, but focused solely on voters’ right to select specific names within party lists through a preferential vote.

It was precisely this amendment that was blocked during the secret ballot, a clear signal that even within the majority ranks there were lawmakers who did not remain loyal to the proposal. As soon as the result was announced, opposition representatives immediately called on the prime minister to resign and for an early round of elections to be held. The defeat is considered highly delicate, since both Forza Italia and the League, the coalition partners, had openly stated they would approve the amendment. Considering that the parliamentary majority belongs to the coalition, the outcome shows that a group of deputies from the government camp voted the opposite way.

After this failure, Meloni commented briefly on the situation: “We tried. Once again, the swamp won.” Italy is expected to head to the ballot boxes for parliamentary elections next year, while polls continue to show Meloni and her party as the electorate’s most preferred forces.