Italian
voters reject Giorgia Meloni’s plan to overhaul judiciary
Referendum
result could tarnish PM’s reputation and make winning next year’s general
election more challenging
Angela
Giuffrida in Rome
Mon 23
Mar 2026 17.05 GMT
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/23/italy-voters-reject-overhaul-judiciary-giorgia-meloni
Italian
voters have rejected an overhaul of the country’s judiciary pushed by the prime
minister, Giorgia Meloni, an outcome that is expected to tarnish her reputation
and make winning next year’s general election more challenging.
In a
two-day referendum, almost 54% of voters said no to the plans to reorganise the
judiciary, compared with about 46% for the yes camp.
The
result was driven by younger voters, with 61% of 18- to 34-year-olds snubbing
the proposals, according to data from the pollster Opinio for the state
broadcaster Rai. Days before the referendum, Meloni had turned to an irreverent
podcast hosted by a rapper in an effort to sway young voters.
On Monday
afternoon as the results came through, Meloni said: “The Italians have decided
and we respect this decision. We will move forward, as we always have done,
with responsibility, determination and respect towards the Italian people and
Italy.”
Turnout
reached a record-breaking 58.5%, according to data from the Italian interior
ministry, contradicting ballot forecasts that it would be low.
Roberto
D’Alimonte, a politics professor at Luiss University in Rome, said: “We’re all
surprised by the level of the turnout. I’m very impressed.”
While the
nature of the proposed changes, which would have required amendments to Italy’s
post-fascism constitution, were technical and complex, the referendum campaign
was mostly filled with inflammatory rhetoric from Meloni and her ministers
towards the judiciary.
Meloni’s
far-right government has proved unusually stable for Italy and since coming to
power in October 2022 the prime minister has cultivated good working relations
with many European leaders and Donald Trump. Her Brothers of Italy party, which
has neofascist roots, leads in polls on about 30%, while Meloni rides high in
personal opinion polls.
But this
aura of invincibility is now damaged, analysts said. “Her standing is going to
suffer,” D’Alimonte said. “She’s going to be a weaker prime minister.”
The
referendum defeat will make it harder for Meloni’s ruling coalition to push
forward with plans to pass an electoral law that could give the alliance a
comfortable win in the 2027 general elections. It may also scupper Meloni’s
other flagship policy, allowing the electorate to vote directly for the prime
minister, a move that would also require a controversial constitutional change.
“This is
her pet project,” said D’Alimonte of the direct election proposal. “That is
sitting in parliament waiting for the outcome of this referendum. The loss
means she is going to lose the leverage to push it through.”
He added:
“The other thing is when you start losing in politics, you might face a change
in the wind. People start looking at you differently. You’re not invincible.
You made a mistake.”
The
defeat comes at a particularly sensitive time, with the cost of living rising
due to the widening conflict in the Middle East as a result of the US-Israeli
war in Iran. Meloni has nurtured close relations with Trump and is
ideologically in tune with him, while the majority of Italians are against the
war and have a negative opinion of him.
“This is
an unfavourable environment for Meloni,” D’Alimonte said. “You have gas and
electricity bills going up, and her association with Trump is something that
even her voters think is problematic, to say the least.”
The
referendum outcome is expected to boost the fortunes of the opposition parties,
which for the most part supported the no campaign, giving them a platform on
which to unite and possibly build a credible force against Meloni.
“We did
it – long live the constitution,” said Giuseppe Conte, the former prime
minister who leads the Five Star Movement.
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário