Italian parliament approves Meloni-backed electoral reform

Italy's lower house of parliament has approved a controversial overhaul of the country's electoral system proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government, with critics arguing the changes are designed to help the premier remain in power after the next general election scheduled for 2027.

The reform, put forward by the governing right-wing coalition of Brothers of Italy, the League and Forza Italia, would establish a fully proportional voting system while granting a guaranteed parliamentary majority to any political bloc securing more than 42% of the vote, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

Under the proposal, any alliance crossing that threshold would receive an additional 70 seats in the 400-member Chamber of Deputies and 35 seats in the 200-member Senate. At the same time, the legislation sets limits of 220 seats in the lower chamber and 113 in the upper chamber to prevent excessively large majorities.

Discussions surrounding the reform highlighted divisions within the governing coalition. Earlier this week, parliament rejected a separate government proposal that would have allowed voters to express preferences for individual candidates on party lists, with some coalition lawmakers breaking ranks.

The legislation must still pass the Senate, where the government hopes to secure approval following the summer break.

Italy's current electoral framework combines proportional representation with first-past-the-post constituencies, which account for roughly one-third of parliamentary seats and are widely viewed by analysts as benefiting opposition parties.

The proposed changes would eliminate those constituency seats, including in southern Italy, where the centre-left alliance between the Democratic Party (PD) and the Five Star Movement is considered particularly strong.

Supporters of the reform argue that the new system would ensure clearer governing majorities and greater political stability. Meloni is expected to become Italy's longest-serving postwar prime minister in early September, marking an unusually lengthy period of stability in Italian politics.

However, the emergence of a new far-right force has caused concern within the ruling camp, drawing support away from coalition parties and casting uncertainty over the next election.

Futuro Nazionale, led by former army general Roberto Vannacci, is currently polling above 6% and has overtaken the League in some opinion surveys, raising questions over whether it would eventually align with Meloni's bloc.

According to projections by pollster YouTrend, a right-wing coalition that includes Futuro Nazionale would likely retain a parliamentary majority, while the centre-left could emerge victorious if Vannacci's party decided to contest the election independently.

"The outcome of the next election will depend not only on the electoral law, but crucially on where Futuro Nazionale positions itself," YouTrend said.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov