By Crispian Balmer and Angelo Amante
ROME, March 23 (Reuters) – Italian voters emphatically rejected a flagship judicial reform championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, dealing a blow to her right-wing coalition ahead of next year’s general elections.
With most ballots counted after the March 22-23 referendum, the opposition-backed “No” bloc took almost 54% of the vote against 46% who approved of the government drive to rewrite the constitution and revamp Italy’s fiercely independent judiciary.
“The Italians have decided and we respect this decision,” Meloni said in a message posted on social media.
“Clearly, we regret this missed opportunity to modernise Italy, but this does not change our commitment to keep working seriously and resolutely for the good of the nation,” she added, making clear she had no intention of resigning.
Turnout was much higher than expected at almost 60%, with voters apparently energised by an ill-tempered campaign that laid bare deep animosity between the right-wing coalition and Italy’s magistrates, that will leave lasting scars.
MAGISTRATES SING ‘BELLA CIAO’ IN CELEBRATION
Around 50 magistrates gathered in the courthouse of the southern city of Naples to follow the count and started singing the anti-fascist anthem of resistance “Bella Ciao” when it became clear the government had lost.
The defeat strips Meloni of her aura of being a winner in the eyes of the Italian electorate after four years of victories in a string of local and national polls.
“When a leader loses their magic touch, everyone starts to doubt them, and there is one thing they absolutely cannot do. They can’t pretend it is business as usual,” said Matteo Renzi, who himself quit as prime minister in 2016 after losing a referendum on his own constitutional reform agenda.
By contrast, the result may re-energize the fragmented centre-left, giving the two largest opposition parties, the Democratic Party and 5-Star Movement, the impetus to forge a broad alliance to take on the conservative bloc.
“We’ve done it! Long live the constitution,” said 5-Star head and former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
The timing of the contest proved challenging for Meloni, with Italians harbouring a clear dislike of her ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, and fearful that the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran will drive up already high domestic power prices.
ITALIAN CONSTITUTION PROVES HARD TO CHANGE
Pollsters said in the run-up to the ballot that many who voted “No” would likely do so to register dissatisfaction with Meloni’s administration rather than engaging with the substance of the highly technical reform.
The referendum proposed separating the careers of judges and public prosecutors, and splitting magistrates’ self-governing body into two sections, with members chosen by lot rather than elected. The government argued the changes were needed to make the judiciary more accountable for its mistakes and prevent politically motivated factions from controlling top jobs.
By the government’s own admission, the changes would not have addressed one of the main problems afflicting Italy — a notoriously slow legal system that weighs on the economy.
Italian politicians have tried on numerous occasions to alter aspects of the constitution, but have almost always failed.
Written after World War Two, the Republic’s founding charter deliberately disperses power and requires broad consensus for any changes. This in turn often transforms proposed amendments into national verdicts on the government of the day.
Monday’s defeat leaves her weakened domestically as she grapples with a stagnant economy and complex international headwinds. It could also weaken her standing in Europe, where previously she was seen as unexpectedly resilient and enduring.
(Reporting by Crispian Balmer and Angelo Amante; Editing by Gavin Jones)
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