Italy’s Meloni loses knife-edge vote on electoral reform

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has suffered a stinging defeat in parliament over her plans for electoral reform, losing a key vote in the Chamber of Deputies by the narrowest of margins.

The bill, put forward by her governing Brothers of Italy party, was rejected by a single vote, with 188 lawmakers voting against to 187 in favour.

“We tried. The swamp has won again,” Meloni said.

Despite her popularity, this is the second major setback for Meloni within months, following a failed referendum to reform the country’s judicial system.

She has governed with a coalition of three right-wing and conservative parties since 2022.

If she holds on until after the summer recess – which is considered likely – she will become Italy’s longest-serving prime minister in a single continuous term in early September, with elections expected next year.

Meloni has long championed a fundamental overhaul of the electoral system, arguing that Italy needs stable governance.

Her proposals include the direct election of the prime minister and a majority bonus in seat allocation for the party that wins the most votes.

The amendment in question concerned only whether future parliamentary elections should allow voters to use so-called preference votes to promote individual candidates on their party’s list.

It was on this point that Meloni was defeated in the secret ballot. The left-wing opposition immediately called for her resignation and fresh elections.

The defeat is particularly awkward for Meloni because her coalition partners Forza Italia and Lega had promised their support.

The coalition commands a comfortable majority in parliament, meaning deputies from within her own camp must have voted against the measure.