Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is advocating for a significant revamp of Italy’s electoral system, which she believes will foster greater stability following years of political turmoil. The proposed system includes a form of proportional representation that offers a “majority bonus”—additional seats to the coalition that secures the most votes, as reported by Financial Times.
Facing parliamentary debate set to commence on Friday, Meloni asserts that these changes are crucial for establishing a stable government, contrasting Italy’s current standing as a pillar of stability in Europe against its previous instability. “I certainly do not want Italy to become unstable again,” Meloni emphasized during a public forum on Tuesday.
Details of the Proposal
The core of Meloni’s proposal centers on proportional representation, allowing the winning coalition to gain extra parliamentary seats, thereby enabling governance without an absolute majority. In order to qualify for this majority bonus, which could amount to 17.5% of parliamentary seats, parties would need to campaign on a joint platform and agree on a candidate for prime minister—echoing Meloni’s previously abandoned initiative to overhaul Italy’s post-fascist constitution and establish a directly elected prime minister.
The winning coalition must achieve a minimum of 42% of the votes to claim this majority bonus; otherwise, the additional seats will be allocated proportionally. “It is a proportional law—those who get the most votes govern,” Meloni contended. “However, it grants the one who receives the highest votes the power to secure a majority to govern for five years. We should all agree on this, especially the left,” she stated.
Opposition Concerns
Political analysts, including Lorenzo Castellani from Luiss University in Rome, suggest that Meloni’s electoral reform proposal stems from her anxiety regarding her party’s prospects ahead of the elections scheduled for next year, which could happen as early as April. While Meloni’s center-right coalition won decisively in 2022 against a fragmented opposition, the Democratic Party, the populist “5 Star Movement,” and other opponents are now seeking to unite their efforts to thwart Meloni’s judicial reform attempts.
“Changing an electoral law is always a sign of weakness,” Castellani remarked. “If you need to alter the rules to win, it indicates you lack confidence in your ability to win the elections.”
Commitment to Block the Reform
Opposition parties have pledged to prevent the reform from passing. Elly Schlein, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party, declared, “We will not allow the electoral law to be adopted,” claiming that certain aspects of the proposal are clearly unconstitutional. Another Democratic member, Marco Meloni (no relation to the prime minister), described the initiative as an “authoritarian plan concentrating power in the hands of a single individual.”
Riccardo Magi from the smaller opposition party, Più Europa, criticized the proposal as “a contradictory mishmash of different systems,” designed to secure a majority for the governing coalition.
Historical Context of the Proposal
Meloni’s proposal draws inspiration from a controversial electoral law introduced by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in 2005, which included a similar “majority bonus.” This law was utilized in three elections before being annulled by the Constitutional Court in 2013. The requirement for electoral coalitions to pre-select their prime ministerial candidates will also complicate matters within the center-left opposition, which both Schlein and Giuseppe Conte of the 5 Star Movement aspire to lead.
Additionally, the legislation would complicate smaller parties’ electoral participation by imposing a threshold of 500,000 signatures, a provision widely viewed as targeting former general Roberto Vannacci and his nascent far-right movement, Futuro Nazionale. Vannacci, who recently distanced himself from Matteo Salvini’s League, has garnered support from right-leaning voters dissatisfied with Meloni’s coalition.
