Italy’s Parliament approves Giorgia Meloni’s electoral reform ahead of next year’s elections

The lower house of Italy’s Parliament definitively approved on Thursday the electoral reform backed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with possible implications for the national elections scheduled for next year. The bill was passed by secret ballot, with 227 votes in favor and 164 against, after months of debate and tensions within the governing coalition.

The new law introduces a fully proportional electoral system and awards a seat bonus to the alliance that wins more than 42% of the vote, allowing it to secure a parliamentary majority. The government says the reform will promote stability and allow the winning party to govern without deadlocks.

The center-left opposition accuses the government of changing the rules ahead of the election to improve Giorgia Meloni’s chances of remaining in power. Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein said the opposition would win regardless of the voting system.

The previous rules stipulated that approximately two-thirds of lawmakers be elected through proportional representation, with the remainder elected in single-member constituencies, a mechanism considered favorable to the opposition. The reform also sparked internal disputes over the selection of candidates, with a compromise adopted that preserves party leaders’ influence over the lists. The change comes as Meloni’s coalition is losing ground in the polls to the opposition and a new far-right group.