Italy’s Chamber of Deputies gave final approval to the electoral overhaul on October 8 by a vote of 227 to 164, capping a months-long process that revealed fractures in Meloni’s coalition. The Senate had approved the measure on September 15 by 113 votes to 71, and the lower house had cleared the first articles in confidence votes on October 6. Meloni had staked her government on the bill, saying she could resign if it were rejected.
The new system replaces the mix used in the 2022 election with full proportional representation, but adds a “governability bonus” for any party or coalition winning at least 42 percent of the vote in both houses: 70 additional seats in the 400-member Chamber of Deputies and 35 in the 200-member Senate, with total representation capped to avoid overly large majorities. If no group reaches the threshold, seats are distributed proportionally. The bill also lets voters express up to three preferences for individual candidates, requires parties to name their preferred prime minister in their programs, and raises the signature requirement for new parties from 1,500 to 6,000 per constituency.
Opponents denounce the reform as unconstitutional and antidemocratic, arguing it is designed to entrench Meloni’s right-wing coalition. Analysts note the reform was conceived before far-right rival Roberto Vannacci’s Futuro Nazionale, polling at about 8 percent, emerged as a force to Meloni’s right, and that the bonus could now strengthen his leverage over the centre-right bloc by raising the stakes of pre-election alliance-building.
The bill, known as “Stabilicum” by the governing coalition and “Melonellum” by its opponents, was the subject of government confidence votes on its first articles this week. The next step to watch is whether opponents file a constitutional challenge, which would go to the Constitutional Court; no filing has been reported yet. The latest speculation points to a possible vote in May 2027 coinciding with local elections in major cities.