Italy approves shift to full proportional voting; opposition accuses Meloni of "scam"

The Italian Parliament approved a contested overhaul of the country’s electoral rules, moving the system towards full proportional representation ahead of elections scheduled for next year.

Lawmakers backed the change by 227 votes in favor and 164 against. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni argued the reform will increase the chances of a clear winner and produce a more stable government.

Opposition says the reform is engineered to benefit the ruling coalition

Opposition parties accused Meloni’s right-wing coalition of crafting the proposal to boost its staying power in power. During a heated debate on Thursday, opposition MPs denounced the move as an attempt to push through what they called a “scam” and to sidestep democratic norms.

Under the new rules, Italy will abandon its current mixed voting system — in which roughly one third of MPs are elected by plurality and the remainder by proportional lists — in favor of a fully proportional model.

Parties or pre-electoral coalitions will be required to present a common candidate for prime minister and a joint policy programme before each parliamentary election. The party or coalition that obtains the largest share of the vote — provided that share exceeds 42% — will receive an additional 105 seats in parliament; 70 in the Chamber of Deputies and 35 in the Senate. That bonus could turn a narrow victory into a comfortable parliamentary majority.

Photo: press material from the event