Italy’s lower house of parliament has given final approval to a major electoral reform championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, introducing a proportional voting system ahead of the national election scheduled for next year.
The reform was approved by 227 votes to 164 in a secret ballot, replacing the existing mixed electoral system with a fully proportional model.
Under the new system, a coalition securing more than 42 per cent of the vote would receive a majority bonus designed to give it a parliamentary majority. The reform provides for 70 additional seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 35 in the Senate for the qualifying coalition.
Meloni has defended the changes as a way of promoting government stability and ensuring that an election produces a government capable of governing effectively.
“Whoever wins must be able to govern,” Meloni said after the vote.
The centre-left opposition, however, has criticised the reform, arguing that the changes could benefit Meloni’s ruling coalition ahead of the election. Opposition lawmakers have also raised constitutional concerns over the majority bonus.
The reform requires each coalition or party contesting outside a coalition to name its candidate for prime minister before the election, although the final appointment of the prime minister remains with the President under Italy’s constitution.
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The new rules also allow voters to express preferences for candidates on party lists, while candidates at the top of the lists retain a protected position under the revised system.
The reform follows months of disagreements within Meloni’s governing coalition over the details of the legislation, including the system for selecting candidates.
Meloni said the final vote demonstrated that her centre-right coalition remained united and committed to its programme.
