Rome – On Thursday Italy’s Chamber of Deputies gave final approval to a sweeping electoral reform that will take effect for the general election scheduled for next year. The legislation, championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, replaces the current hybrid system with a purely proportional model and introduces a majority bonus designed to foster stable governing coalitions.
Key Features of the New System
Purely proportional representation: The reform eliminates the existing mix of proportional seats and first‑past‑the‑post contests. All 400 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and all 200 seats in the Senate will be allocated based on party lists according to the share of the national vote each coalition receives.
Majority bonus: Any coalition that secures more than 42% of the national vote will receive an automatic allocation of 70 additional seats in the Chamber and 35 seats in the Senate. To prevent overly large majorities, the bonus is capped so that the winning coalition cannot hold more than 220 seats in the Chamber or 113 seats in the Senate.
If more than one coalition surpasses the 42% threshold, the coalition with the highest vote total will be awarded the bonus.
Thresholds and Signature Requirements
Coalitions must obtain at least 10% of the vote to enter parliament, while individual parties—whether part of a coalition or running independently—must reach a 3% threshold. The law also raises the signature requirement for parties outside parliament from 1,500 to 6,000 per constituency, a change critics say could hinder new or small parties from gaining ballot access.
Prime Minister Candidate Designation
Each coalition or stand‑alone party must name a candidate for prime minister on its ballot. Although the Italian Constitution still gives the president the formal authority to appoint the prime minister, the designated candidate signals the coalition’s preferred leader.
Political Context
Meloni’s right‑leaning alliance and the centre‑left bloc, which includes the Democratic Party and the Five‑Star Movement, are the two dominant forces in Italian politics. The government argues that the new rules will reduce the fragmentation that has historically led to short‑lived administrations, while opposition parties contend the reforms are tailored to give Meloni’s coalition a decisive edge in the upcoming election.
By guaranteeing a working majority to any coalition that clears the 42% mark, the law seeks to avoid the coalition‑building deadlocks that have plagued Italy’s post‑World War II parliamentary history. Observers note that the higher signature threshold may limit the entry of niche parties, potentially consolidating the political landscape around the two major camps.
Next Steps
The reform now moves to the Senate for final consideration. If approved, the new electoral framework will be in place for the 2027 general election, shaping how Italians cast their votes and how parties campaign in the months ahead.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
