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Italian voters rejected a judicial reform backed by conservative Premier Giorgia Meloni on Monday, a setback that revives uncertainty for her right-wing government ahead of national elections due about a year from now. Final results released by Italy’s Interior Ministry gave the “No” campaign almost 54% of the vote, compared with about 46% for the government-backed “Yes” campaign.
Meloni said she would accept the outcome. In an Instagram video, she told Italians: “Italian citizens have decided and we respect their decision as always,” and she pledged, as anticipated, to complete her mandate, which runs into 2027. In the same remarks, she said she felt some “regret for a missed opportunity to modernize Italy,” while also saying the government would move forward “with responsibility, determination, and above all, with respect for Italy and its people.”
The referendum vote, which began Sunday and took place over two days, drew turnout of almost 59% after what the campaign had shaped into a polarizing contest. The result energized the center-left opposition, which had argued the reform threatened judicial independence, while also exposing divisions within Meloni’s own right-wing coalition.
Supporters of the reform, backed by Meloni’s coalition, presented it as a step toward streamlining Italy’s judicial system, which critics and analysts have long described as slow, bureaucratic, and vulnerable to political influence. Opponents from parties, civil society groups, and legal associations argued the changes would concentrate too much power in the executive branch and could weaken institutional checks and balances.
With political tensions already running high, debate intensified in the final weeks before the vote, and the referendum took on a broader political character that functioned as a confidence test on Meloni’s leadership itself. The defeat—especially after a campaign that was closely tied to her personal standing—raised questions about whether the coalition can remain cohesive.
Analysts said the consequences could extend beyond Italy’s domestic politics as well. Jess Middleton, a senior Europe analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, said the outcome “punctures Meloni’s image of strength,” weakening her status as a pillar of domestic stability and “as a consistent player in an increasingly volatile European political landscape.” Middleton pointed to scrutiny facing Meloni, including growing attention on her alignment with U.S. President Donald Trump and Trump’s increasingly unpopular war on Iran.
For the center-left opposition, the referendum win offered a momentum boost amid frustration with the government’s performance on the economy and amid the broader war in the Middle East that featured in campaign discussions. Elly Schlein, leader of the center-left Democratic Party, hailed the result and said opposition forces would remain united.
“We’ll continue to work together and we’ll build a real alternative to this government,” Schlein said at a news conference celebrating the “No” victory. The key question now, Middleton said, is whether those disparate opposition forces can maintain cohesion and present a credible alternative before next year’s elections.