Italian PM Meloni's Electoral Reform Fails To Clear Parliamentary Vote

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition government suffered a significant setback on Wednesday after lawmakers rejected a key amendment to an electoral reform bill in a secret ballot, exposing fractures within her right-wing alliance ahead of next year's general election.

The amendment, proposed by Meloni's Brothers of Italy (FdI) party, was defeated by 188 votes to 187 in the lower house of parliament, indicating that several members of her own coalition voted against the measure, BBC reported. The government can still proceed with the broader reform, but the defeat of the preference-voting provision undermines a central element of Meloni's plan to reshape Italy's electoral system.

In an angry post on social media after the vote, Meloni said the result had been "a missed opportunity for Italians." "The opposition celebrating as if they had won the World Cup, for preventing citizens from choosing their parliamentarians says it all," she wrote, referencing jubilant scenes by opposition parties. Meloni did not address calls from the opposition to resign and bring forward the general election, currently planned for autumn 2027.

Reform Details And Opposition Criticism

The proposed reform, introduced as a parliamentary initiative on February 26, 2026, and currently under examination in the Chamber of Deputies according to the official legislative dossier, would move Italy to a fully proportional system with a bonus for the largest party or coalition, even if they fall short of a majority. Coalitions would also be required to agree on a common platform and a single prime ministerial candidate.

Meloni has argued the reform would result in less shaky government coalitions and greater stability in Italy. However, opposition parties criticised it as "authoritarian" and an attempt to secure a majority in next year's general election, as per the report.

The rejected amendment concerned a provision on preference voting, allowing voters to choose preferred candidates from a list. Although that element was rejected, the government can continue to press ahead with the rest of the electoral reform.

Political Tensions And Opposition Unity

Since 2022, Meloni has led a coalition government made up of centre-right and right-wing parties, plus her own hard-right FdI. But tensions within the coalition have increased as the parties' individual popularity has declined.

Meanwhile, centre-left and left-wing opposition parties are preparing to form a united front against Meloni next year. They already teamed up successfully in a campaign against a government-backed referendum on constitutional reform in the spring, which Meloni's camp lost in the first major blow to her government.

However, if elections are held in September 2027, Meloni will be the first Italian prime minister to have governed for a whole term with just one government since 1946.