- Giorgia Meloni’s justice reform has failed.
- 53.1 percent of Italian voters rejected it in a referendum.
- The right-wing coalition government was unable to pass the reform.
Italian voters rejected a proposed overhaul of the country’s justice system in a referendum on Sunday, dealing a significant blow to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government. According to a new projection from the Rai television network, 53.6 percent of voters opposed the plan, whereas 46.4 percent supported it. Final results are expected Monday.
The outcome represents a major setback for Meloni, coming roughly a year and a half before the next scheduled parliamentary elections. Despite this defeat, her Brothers of Italy party currently maintains a substantial lead in opinion polls.
Meloni acknowledged the defeat in a video posted to her Instagram channel, stating, “The Italians have decided. And we will respect this decision.”
Meloni Rules Out Personal Consequences
The leader of the Brothers of Italy party described the referendum result as a “lost opportunity to modernize Italy,” but affirmed her government’s commitment to continuing its “function for the good of the nation.” Meloni had previously stated she would not seize personal responsibility if the referendum failed.
What the Reform Proposed
The proposed justice reform included changes to several articles of the Italian constitution. Supporters argued the changes were crucial to ensuring the independence of judges and prosecutors from political influence and to improving the overall efficiency of the judicial system. Opponents, even though, accused Meloni’s government of seeking to increase its control over the judiciary.
A key element of the proposal was a strict separation of the careers of judges and prosecutors. The plan aimed to limit the self-governance of the judiciary, with appointments, promotions, and transfers of judges and prosecutors to be decided by separate panels. Membership on these panels would be determined in part by lottery, and disciplinary proceedings would be handled by a dedicated court.
Reactions from the Political Spectrum
The reform had support from the governing coalition and some members of the opposition. However, the majority of Italy’s opposition parties campaigned against it, warning of interference in the independence of the judiciary. Opponents also argued that the proposed changes could leave the public prosecution service more vulnerable to political pressure, while failing to address structural problems such as lengthy legal proceedings and overcrowded prisons.
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