Italy’s parliament has approved fiercely contested changes to the country’s electoral system championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ahead of elections due next year.
Lawmakers voted 227 to 164 in favour of moving to a fully proportional system, which Meloni argues will boost the chance of clear winners and a more stable government.
Opposition parties say the right‑wing coalition has designed the proposals to improve its chances of retaining power, and in a heated debate on Thursday the Monday call it a fraudulent reform designed to flout democracy.
Meloni had warned that she could resign and trigger an early election if the plans were rejected, using the secret ballot as a test of her authority.
The reform moves Italy away from its current hybrid system, in which about a third of members are chosen through first‑past‑the‑post and the rest via proportional representation.
Parties that plan to form a coalition will be required to submit a joint prime‑minister candidate and political programme before any general election.
A party or coalition that emerges with the largest share of the votes – provided this exceeds 42% – will be awarded 105 additional seats in parliament (70 in the lower house and 35 in the senate), potentially turning a narrow victory into a comfortable majority.
Centre‑left members held up signs with slogans including "No to the scam" and "fraudulent law" during a debate ahead of the vote, and accused the government of pushing through the new voting rules.
"Go ahead and change the electoral law, we will win in any case under any voting system," said Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein.
Five Star leader and former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told AFP that the move was "a mess, a convoluted scheme, devised solely to find a formula to gain an advantage in the upcoming elections".
The proposals have also exposed tension within Meloni’s coalition, with the Brothers of Italy party and its allies, the far‑right League and centre‑right Forza Italia, citing potential rifts.
Analysts predicted that Thursday’s final vote was unlikely to fail, given that many lawmakers risk losing their parliamentary pension eligibility if a snap election is called.
After the vote, Meloni wrote on social media that "today we respond with facts: we are united, cohesive, and determined to carry forward the commitments made to citizens." She added: "We are introducing rules designed to promote the stability and parliamentary coherence of any government, regardless of its political colour."
Meloni’s term officially ends in October 2027, although she could bring elections forward to the spring.
