Italy’s contested electoral reform bill will move to the floor of the Chamber of Deputies starting Monday, September 28, according to a report from Italian news agency ANSA.
The development follows a Senate phase in which lawmakers rejected preliminary motions questioning the bill’s constitutionality, as reported by RaiNews. Debate in the upper house continued with 38 members still registered to speak on the measure.
The reform has exposed friction within Italy’s governing center-right coalition. HuffPost Italia reported that coalition partners are at odds over the legislation, with one unnamed figure warning against disruptive tactics, saying, “We don’t play games or everything falls apart.” The outlet described the alliance as being in disarray over the bill’s specifics.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has reportedly warned allies that failure to pass the electoral reform could trigger early elections in January, according to la Repubblica. Her party, Brothers of Italy (FdI), is said to be considering support for opposition amendments on preference voting, Sky TG24 reported.
The bill’s journey through parliament has been marked by procedural delays and intra-coalition bargaining. The Senate debate, which included constitutional objections, set the stage for what is expected to be a contentious review in the lower house.
Observers will watch whether FdI follows through on its reported openness to amendments from the Democratic Party (Pd) on preference votes, a move that could reshape the final text and test coalition unity. The outcome in the Chamber will determine whether the government can deliver on its legislative agenda or face the prospect of an early national vote.
