An Italian referendum initiative, opposed by the Meloni government, has failed because not enough voters showed up at the polls. Meloni’s government coalition had encouraged voters to boycott the referendum, and according to figures from YouTrend, the number of citizens casting a ballot was not enough to meet the quorum requirement of 50% plus one.
The two-day referendum ended on Monday afternoon with just under 30% of voters participating.
“The opposition wanted to turn the referendum into a vote on the Meloni government. Meloni aide Giovanbattista Fazzolari told Reuters. “The response is very clear: the government emerges from this stronger and the opposition is weaker.”
The most highly contested proposal on the ballot aimed to reduce the residency time required to apply for citizenship from ten years to five. If passed, the measure would have affected about 2.5 million immigrants, organizers said. The referendum also included four questions backed by trade unions, seeking to repeal the 2016 Jobs Act and strengthen worker protections.
