Meloni has proposed a reform of the electoral system: what will change in Italy
This is reported by the Financial Times.
What is the essence of the reform?
On the eve of the parliamentary debate, Giorgia Meloni stated that Italy had finally become an ‘island of stability’ in Europe. According to her, the country had suffered from frequent changes of government for years, so the electoral system needed to be updated.
The bill provides for a transition to a proportional representation system with a so-called ‘majority bonus’. If a coalition secures at least 42 per cent of the vote, it will be able to receive additional seats to form a stable parliamentary majority.
At the same time, such a coalition must stand in the election as a single bloc and nominate a candidate for the post of Prime Minister before the vote takes place. If no political force clears the 42 per cent threshold, seats in parliament will be allocated in proportion to the voting results.
How the opposition reacted
The initiative has already drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The leader of the Democratic Party, Elli Schlein, stated that her party would not support the bill, and described certain provisions as potentially contrary to the Italian Constitution.
Party representative Marco Meloni, for his part, described the reform as an “authoritarian plan to concentrate power”.
Political scientist Lorenzo Castellani of LUISS University believes that changing the electoral rules on the eve of the campaign may indicate that the current government has doubts about its own chances of victory.
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