Meloni coalition loses electoral reform vote by 1 ballot
What’s next: The government plans to push the broader election-law overhaul through the lower house and seek Senate approval in September.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition suffered a narrow parliamentary defeat after lawmakers rejected a key amendment to its electoral reform package by 188 votes to 187 in a secret ballot. The failed measure would have let voters express preferences for candidates on party lists. The setback exposed dissent inside the ruling bloc, with reports that coalition lawmakers broke ranks. Meloni’s government still intends to advance the wider proposal, which would shift Italy to a fully proportional system and grant a majority bonus to a coalition winning more than 42% of the vote. Opposition parties renewed calls for Meloni to resign, while allies insisted the loss would not trigger a broader political crisis ahead of the next general election.