Italian voters reject Meloni's judicial reform in referendum defeat

Italian voters emphatically rejected Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's flagship judicial reform referendum, delivering a significant political setback to her right-wing coalition.

“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has conceded defeat in a referendum on her justice reforms, while confirming she would not hand in her resignation”

Al Jazeera

With final results showing the "No" bloc securing approximately 54% of the vote against 46% for the government-backed "Yes" campaign, Meloni conceded defeat while firmly ruling out resignation.

Al Jazeera

"The Italians have decided. And we respect this decision," Meloni stated in a video message posted on social media, adding that the result "does not change our commitment to continue, with seriousness and determination, to work for the good of the nation."

The unexpectedly high voter turnout of nearly 59% - considerably higher than expected - indicated strong public engagement in a vote that had transformed from a technical consultation into a broader referendum on Meloni's leadership itself.

This defeat represents Meloni's first major electoral setback since she assumed office in October 2022, ending her streak of victories in local and national polls that had established her image as an unbeatable political force.

The contested constitutional reform represented one of Meloni's most significant legislative initiatives, aiming to fundamentally restructure Italy's judicial system through several controversial measures.

At its core, the proposal sought to separate the career paths of judges and prosecutors - currently integrated under the common designation of "magistrates" - by forcing new entrants to choose between the two paths from the outset.

Anadolu Agency

The reform also planned to split the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) into two distinct autonomous bodies and introduce a new disciplinary court consisting of 15 members, with some positions to be filled through lottery selection rather than traditional elections.

Supporters argued these changes would bring Italy's judicial model closer to other Western democracies and eliminate biases in the system, while critics warned they would concentrate excessive power in the executive branch and undermine judicial independence.

The reform had been approved by Parliament in October 2025 but required popular ratification through the referendum since it did not reach the two-thirds threshold in the Chamber.

The referendum result delivered a powerful political message that significantly weakened Meloni's standing while energizing the center-left opposition forces.

“Una valanga di NO, quasi il 54 per cento, boccia la riforma della giustizia del governo Meloni”

ANSA

Opposition parties, civil society groups, and legal associations had mounted a unified front throughout the campaign, framing the reform as a direct threat to judicial independence and institutional checks and balances.

"This vote is very important. It aims to improve the judicial system, whose reform has been awaited for a long time," Francesca Serlupi Ferretti Crescenzi, a voter in Rome, told Associated Press, reflecting the broader sentiment.

Elly Schlein, leader of the center-left Democratic Party, hailed the result as a "rejection of this government's arrogance" in attempting to push through "a flawed and harmful reform that would have upset the balance of power enshrined in the constitution."

Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi described the outcome as a "resounding defeat" and a reminder that "when the people speak, the palace must listen," drawing parallels to his own resignation after a failed referendum in 2016.

The result poses serious questions about the stability and cohesion of Meloni's governing coalition as it approaches parliamentary elections in 2027.

Beyond Italy's domestic political landscape, the referendum defeat comes amid growing scrutiny of Meloni's controversial alignment with U.S. President Donald Trump and his increasingly unpopular war on Iran.

"Meloni is facing what I would call the 'Trump risk' — which is appearing too subservient to the U.S. president, who is an extremely unpopular political leader in Italy and the rest of Europe and generates a lot of distrust, even among center-right voters," political analyst Pregliasco observed.

Associated Press News

The timing of the referendum proved particularly challenging for Meloni, as Italians harbor clear dislike for Trump and fear that the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran will drive up already high domestic energy prices.

Analysts noted that victory in the referendum would have likely emboldened Meloni to pursue other significant constitutional changes, such as making the post of prime minister directly elected.

The defeat strips Meloni of her aura of being a winner in the eyes of the Italian electorate after four years of victories, potentially diminishing her credibility within the European Union where she is viewed as a stabilizing actor in an often politically volatile environment.

The referendum results revealed clear geographic and demographic divisions within Italian society, with the "No" vote prevailing in 13 of Italy's 20 regions while only three regions - Lombardy, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Veneto - supported the reform.

“President Donald Trump, once politically advantageous, has become increasingly problematic as his foreign policy — particularly the U”

Associated Press News

The divide highlighted Italy's traditional north-south political polarization, with the northern regions traditionally aligned with the center-right voting "Yes" while the southern regions overwhelmingly rejected the proposal.

Associated Press News

In large metropolitan areas, the opposition was particularly pronounced, with Milan rejecting the reform by over 17 percentage points, Naples seeing supporters of separation stop at just 25%, and Bologna approaching 70% against the changes.

Demographically, the youngest voters (aged 18-34) decisively rejected the reform by 61% to 39%, while the 35-54 bracket was also narrowly against the change (53:47).

Only the oldest group of voters (55+) was split essentially in half, with a slight advantage for the "Yes" side (51:49).

These demographic patterns suggest that the reform's defeat reflected not just opposition to its technical content but broader generational dissatisfaction with Meloni's government.