Italian law to give election winners bonus seats: Why that’s controversial

Italy’s parliament is voting on Thursday on a new electoral law that would make it easier for election winners to form a majority government.The law, proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, would award extra seats to any party or coalition that obtains more than 42 percent of seats in both parliamentary chambers, ensuring it holds a majority.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Italy’s Meloni slams protesters following clashes in Bolognalist 2 of 3Abderrahim Fakir’s death has reignited Italy’s police accountability debatelist 3 of 3‘She doesn’t give up that easily’: France’s Le Pen eyes the Elyseeend of listMeloni has framed the legislation as a route to greater stability in Italy’s political system, which has often been run by fragile coalition governments. Her critics, however, say the move is actually aimed at boosting her own chances in elections next year.Here’s what we know about the electoral law and what it means for Italian politics:What is Italy’s current electoral system?Italy currently has a mixed electoral system for its 600-seat parliament, with about 36 percent of members of parliament elected directly in constituencies where the candidate with the most v...