Referendum defeat brings Italy’s Meloni crashing down to earth
politico.eu • • world
Key Points:
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suffered a significant defeat in a judicial reform referendum, with 54% voting against her proposed changes, marking her first major political setback since taking office.
- The referendum's high turnout of 59% and heavy losses in major cities like Rome, Milan, and Naples have energized opposition parties, who now believe Meloni can be defeated in the upcoming general election.
- Meloni's reforms aimed to reduce perceived politicization in the judiciary, but opponents framed the vote as a defense of judicial independence, turning it into a broader political contest.
- Following the defeat, opposition leaders expressed confidence in unseating Meloni, while political analysts suggest her standing has weakened both domestically and in Europe.
- Meloni is expected to try to regain political momentum quickly, possibly by shifting focus to economic and foreign policy issues and considering early elections before economic conditions worsen.
