Italy's Parliament Approves Controversial Electoral Reform — Reuters
The lower house of the Italian Parliament approved a government bill to reform the electoral system, which has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. The bill was supported by the center-right coalition led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The bill provides for a transition to a fully proportional electoral system and the introduction of a bonus for any political bloc that wins more than 42% of the vote.
Under the reform, the winner of the election will receive an additional 70 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 35 seats in the Senate. At the same time, the total number of seats for the majority will be capped at 220 in the lower house and 113 in the upper house to prevent an excessive concentration of power.
The opposition has criticized the initiative, stating that it could help Giorgia Meloni retain power after the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2027.
The bill still needs to be approved by the Senate. The government expects it to be considered after the summer parliamentary recess ends.
Italy currently has a mixed electoral system, under which most members of parliament are elected through proportional representation, while about one-third are elected in single-member districts. The proposed reform would eliminate the first-past-the-post component, particularly in the south of the country, where opposition forces traditionally hold strong positions.
Supporters of the reform argue that it will ensure the formation of a stable parliamentary majority, while critics view it as politically motivated. According to Reuters, the ruling coalition’s position has recently weakened due to the rising popularity of a new far-right movement that is drawing away its electoral support.
This was reported by Reuters.
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