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Straits Times
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Italy's referendum flop bolsters Meloni, reveals divide on left over citizenship
FILE PHOTO: People stand next to a banner in favour of five abrogative popular referendums on employment and Italian citizenship, in Milan, Italy, June 4, 2025. REUTERS/Claudia Greco/File Photo FILE PHOTO: A person sits at a polling station, during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella/File Photo FILE PHOTO: People prepare to vote during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella/File Photo ROME - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni snubbed a referendum on easing citizenship laws but has emerged stronger from the vote as the leftist opposition failed to mobilise mass opposition to her right-wing government after nearly three years in power. A coalition of political parties, unions and civil society groups had promoted the five-question referendum. The proposals included halving the period of residence required to apply for Italian citizenship by naturalisation to five years from 10 as well as strengthening job protection rules. The 'Yes' vote prevailed but only around 30% of eligible voters cast their ballots, far fewer than the required 50% plus one of the electorate needed for the referendum to be valid, meaning Meloni can ignore the results. Key government ministers had encouraged their supporters to boycott the referendum while the opposition had hoped that a strong turnout could help build momentum in favour of political change and challenge Meloni's domination of Italian politics. "It has been a big defeat for the left, that strengthens the government," said Antonio Tajani, the deputy prime minister and leader of Forza Italia party, one of the coalition parties. Meloni, who took office in October 2022 at the head of a right-wing coalition, remains popular. A poll from SWG institute on Tuesday put her Brothers of Italy party at just above 30%, up from the 26% it won in a 2022 national election, while the main opposition centre-left Democratic Party (PD) was on 23%. "This was an attempt to deal a blow (to the government) and it seems to me that it has failed. I think there was hope among the promoters of a stronger anti-Meloni mobilisation," said Lorenzo Pregliasco, from YouTrend polling agency. YouTrend figures showed an average 12.9 million electors voted 'Yes' on the labour questions - slightly more than those who backed the centre-right coalition in 2022 - which the opposition hailed as the first building block of an alternative. Italy's next national election is not scheduled until 2027. DIVISION ON CITIZENSHIP RULES Tallies showed differences in voting between the labour-related measures and the question about easing citizenship rules, which was far more contentious given Meloni's hard line against mass migration. More than 85% of those who took part in the two-day vote backed stronger protection for workers but roughly a third opposed speeding up the procedures for gaining citizenship, indicating divisions also among progressive voters on the issue. "There is a part of the more moderate left-wing electorate that does not share the (progressive) parties' positions on migrants. They are not against them, but they want laws that can limit entry and citizenship," said polling expert Antonio Noto. Noto added that the data suggested some of Italy's right-leaning voters had defied calls from their parties' leaders to boycott the referendum and had likely helped boost the "No" vote on citizenship. Pollsters say the wealthy centres of cities including Milan and Turin strongly backed reforming the citizenship rules, while the number decreased in the suburbs, indicating that lower-income voters are more conservative on the issue. The failure of the referendum has dealt a major setback for groups fighting for the integration of migrants. Promoters complained of confusion and overlap with other issues, including the management of migratory flows and illegal arrivals. "The lack of information and misinformation on the citizenship question certainly affected the result, in terms of abstentions and votes against," said Anna Lisa Mandorino, who heads civil rights group Cittadinanzattiva. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Low turnout thwarts Italian referendums, deals blow to opposition
Secretary of the Italian Democratic Party (PD) Elly Schlein votes during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella A person holds ballot papers during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella Five Stars Movement leader Giuseppe Conte stands at a polling station, during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella People prepare to vote during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella A person votes during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella ROME - Low voter turnout on Monday sank Italian opposition referendum proposals to ease citizenship laws and tighten job protection rules, with senior figures in the coalition of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saying the outcome boosted the government. Near-final data from polling stations in Italy showed only around 30% of eligible voters had cast their ballots at the end of two days of voting, far short of the 50% plus one of the electorate needed to make the vote legally binding. The outcome - which will be final once votes from Italians living abroad are counted - is a blow for the coalition of centre-left opposition parties, civil society groups and the CGIL trade union behind the referendum questions, and a win for Meloni who strongly opposed them. "The opposition wanted to turn the referendum into a vote on the Meloni government. The response is very clear: the government emerges from this stronger and the left is weaker," said Giovanbattista Fazzolari, a cabinet undersecretary and a close aide to Meloni. Meloni and her right-wing allies encouraged their supporters to boycott the vote. The prime minister visited a polling station in Rome on Sunday but opted not to cast a vote. Opposition forces had hoped that latching on to the issues of labour rights and Italy's demographic woes could help them challenge Meloni, something they have struggled to do since she came to power in 2022. "Our goal was to reach a quorum, it is clear that we did not reach it. Today is not a day of victory," said CGIL union leader Maurizio Landini, who added millions of Italians went to vote and that was "a starting number" to keep fighting for change. CITIZENSHIP ISSUE PROVES DIVISIVE One of the five referendums was about reducing the period of residence required to apply for Italian citizenship by naturalisation to five years from 10 years, which according to organisers would have affected about 2.5 million people. In a country suffering a sharp decline in the birth rate, some economists believe attracting more foreigners is vital to boosting an anaemic economy, while rights groups campaigned for a "Yes" vote to promote the integration of migrant workers. According to initial figures around 35% of voters were against easing the citizenship requirements, indicating the "No" vote could be much higher than in the other questions where the "Yes" looked poised for a very strong majority. The other four referendum questions concerned a reversal of labour market liberalisations introduced a decade ago, and a broadening of liability rules on accidents at work for companies relying on contractors and subcontractors. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Italy's referendums on citizenship and labour sunk by low turnout
Secretary of the Italian Democratic Party (PD) Elly Schlein votes during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella A person holds ballot papers during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella Five Stars Movement leader Giuseppe Conte stands at a polling station, during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella People prepare to vote during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella A person votes during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella ROME - Italian referendum proposals to ease citizenship laws and tighten job protection rules failed on Monday due to low voter turnout, YouTrend polling agency said, in a setback for the centre-left opposition and unions that had championed them. Official data from about half of the polling stations showed slightly less than 30% of eligible voters had cast their ballots at the end of two days of voting, far short of the 50% plus one of the electorate needed to make the vote legally binding. The outcome is a blow for the coalition of centre-left opposition parties, civil society groups and the CGIL trade union behind the referendum questions, and a win for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who strongly opposed them. Meloni and her right-wing allies encouraged their supporters to boycott the vote. The prime minister visited a polling station in Rome on Sunday but did not cast a vote, a tactic she had indicated that she would adopt. Opposition forces had hoped that latching on to the issues of labour rights and Italy's demographic woes could help them challenge Meloni, something they have struggled to do since she came to power in 2022. "The opposition wanted to turn the referendum into a vote on the Meloni government. The response is very clear: the government emerges from this stronger and the opposition is weaker", said Giovanbattista Fazzolari, a cabinet undersecretary and a close aide to Meloni. LOW TURNOUT One of the five referendums was about reducing the period of residence required to apply for Italian citizenship by naturalisation to five years from 10 years, which according to organisers would have affected about 2.5 million people. In a country suffering a sharp decline in the birth rate, some economists believe attracting more foreigners is vital to boosting an anaemic economy, while rights groups campaigned for a "Yes" vote to promote the integration of migrant workers. The other four referendum questions concerned a reversal of labour market liberalisations introduced a decade ago, and a broadening of liability rules on accidents at work for companies relying on contractors and subcontractors. "Whether just above 30% or just below 30%, this is a low figure, below the expectations and targets set by the promoters," YouTrend's Lorenzo Pregliasco told Italian news channel SkyTG24. According to data analysis late on Sunday by the YouTrend polling agency, turnout was higher in wealthier northern and central regions and in larger cities, and lower in the less developed south. A higher turnout was also observed in areas where leftist parties performed well in the last general elections and in the 2024 European elections, YouTrend said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Low turnout set to thwart moves to ease Italian citizenship rules
A person votes during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella ROME (Reuters) -Voting resumed on Monday for Italy's two-day referendum on proposals to make it easier to obtain Italian citizenship and strengthen labour rights, but low turnout looked set to make the vote invalid. Data overnight showed under 23% of eligible voters had cast their ballots as polls provisionally closed on Sunday, far short of the 50% plus one of the electorate needed to make the outcome of the vote binding. Voting ends at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT). One of the five referendums is about reducing the period of residence required to apply for Italian citizenship by naturalisation to five years from 10 years. This could affect about 2.5 million foreign nationals, organisers say. With Italy's birthrate in sharp decline, economists say the country needs to attract more foreigners to boost its anaemic economy, and migrant workers feel a lot is at stake for them as they seek closer integration into Italian society. Three other referendum questions would reverse a decade-old liberalisation of the labour market, and a fourth concerns liability rules for accidents at work. Opposition leftist and centrist parties, civil society groups and a leading trade union have latched on to the issues of labour rights and Italy's demographic woes as a way of challenging Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition government that took power almost three years ago. Meloni and her allies encouraged their supporters to boycott the vote. The prime minister attended a polling station in Rome on Sunday but her staff confirmed that she did not collect ballot papers and did not cast a vote, a tactic she had indicated that she would adopt. A low turnout and a failed referendum could lead to further infighting among centre-left opposition groups which have struggled to find a way to dent Meloni's popularity since she came to power. (Reporting by Angelo Amante and Alvise ArmelliniWriting by Keith Weir; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
Straits Times
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Low turnout set to thwart moves to ease Italian citizenship rules
Secretary of the Italian Democratic Party (PD) Elly Schlein votes during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella A person holds ballot papers during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella Five Stars Movement leader Giuseppe Conte stands at a polling station, during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella People prepare to vote during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella A person votes during a referendum on employment and Italian citizenship at a polling station in Rome, Italy, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Matteo Minnella ROME - Voting resumed on Monday for Italy's two-day referendum on proposals to make it easier to obtain Italian citizenship and strengthen labour rights, but low turnout looked set to make the vote invalid. Data overnight showed under 23% of eligible voters had cast their ballots as polls provisionally closed on Sunday, far short of the 50% plus one of the electorate needed to make the outcome of the vote binding. Voting ends at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT). One of the five referendums is about reducing the period of residence required to apply for Italian citizenship by naturalisation to five years from 10 years. This could affect about 2.5 million foreign nationals, organisers say. With Italy's birthrate in sharp decline, economists say the country needs to attract more foreigners to boost its anaemic economy, and migrant workers feel a lot is at stake for them as they seek closer integration into Italian society. Three other referendum questions would reverse a decade-old liberalisation of the labour market, and a fourth concerns liability rules for accidents at work. Opposition leftist and centrist parties, civil society groups and a leading trade union have latched on to the issues of labour rights and Italy's demographic woes as a way of challenging Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition government that took power almost three years ago. Meloni and her allies encouraged their supporters to boycott the vote. The prime minister attended a polling station in Rome on Sunday but her staff confirmed that she did not collect ballot papers and did not cast a vote, a tactic she had indicated that she would adopt. A low turnout and a failed referendum could lead to further infighting among centre-left opposition groups which have struggled to find a way to dent Meloni's popularity since she came to power. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
