Italians rejected in a referendum the justice reform proposed by Giorgia Meloni’s government, with the “no” prevailing in a very well-participated consultation, indicate partial results released this Monday afternoon (March 23).
The “no” vote accounted for more than 53.6% of the votes, against 46.4%, with three quarters of the votes already scrutinized, with Meloni already recognizing defeat.
“The Italians decided. And we respect that decision. We will move forward, as we have always done, with responsibility, determination and respect for the Italian people and for Italy”Meloni wrote on social media, admitting defeat.
The referendum, held between Sunday (22 March) and Monday (23 March), recorded a turnout rate much higher than expectations, in the order of 59%, which, according to analysts and main political actors, confirmed the political character that this consultation gained.
The result, which has already been celebrated by the center-left opposition parties, represents a harsh defeat for the radical right government, a coalition formed by the parties Brothers of Italy (post-fascist, headed by Meloni), League (extreme right, led by Matteo Salvini) and Força Italia (right, chaired by Antonio Tajani), the first since it took power in October 2022.
Although Giorgia Meloni stated, during the campaign, that she would not resign in case of defeat, the result of the referendum constitutes a severe setback for the radical right-wing executive – with the 2027 legislative elections on the horizon.
One of the great priorities of the legislature was this reform of the justice sector, which the government has systematically attacked, accusing it of “being politicized” to the left and of trying to undermine the work of the executive, including in areas such as combating illegal immigration.
The reform advocated by the government provided for the separation of the careers of judges and prosecutors, so that they could no longer exchange roles, created a higher court to discipline members of the judicial system, divided the judicial system’s self-management body into two, and changed the way in which its judges are elected, using a lottery process.
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