First major setback for Meloni: the "no" vote prevails in Italy on judicial reform
The referendum is seen as a plebiscite on the prime minister, who until now had never lost at the polls.
RomeItaly says No to Meloni's judicial reformWith the vote count virtually complete, 53% of voters reject the changes proposed by the far-right government, compared to 46% who support them. The reform is seen as a plebiscite on Meloni's government, as it is one of the legislature's major projects. Although approved by Parliament in October, Italians must ratify it at the polls because it is a constitutional amendment and did not achieve a two-thirds majority in the chamber. The majority of the country's legal experts, as well as the political opposition to Meloni, reject the changes, considering the reform a step toward exerting political control over the judiciary and a threat to the separation of powers. The Italian Prime Minister has already reacted to the results. "The Italian people have decided. And we respect this decision," she stated in a message to X. The proposed reform has divided Italians. According to estimates gathered by RAI, Italy's public broadcaster, supporters of Brothers of Italy, Forza Italia, and the League voted overwhelmingly in favor of the reform, while the majority of voters for the Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, and the Green Alliance opted against it. NoThe new law separates the careers of judges and prosecutors, currently encompassed by the title of magistrates, allowing them to move from one position to the other under certain circumstances, something practically unheard of at the European level. Furthermore, it divides the Superior Council of the Judiciary, the self-governing body of the judiciary, in two and establishes lottery as the method for selecting its members, in addition to creating a high disciplinary court for the judiciary. Although some see it as a plebiscite, Meloni has distanced his political future from the referendum result and has said he will serve out his term until 2027. It remains to be seen, however, whether this rejection is merely opposition to the reform or translates into a decline in the party's standing.