Italian opposition accuses Meloni of rewriting election rules to stay in power

The government says the reform would ensure stability while opponents accuse it of changing the rules ahead of a 2027 vote Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s ruling coalition is pushing through a controversial electoral reform that would award bonus parliamentary seats to winning alliances. The government says the measure would promote political stability, while opponents accuse it of changing the rules to bolster its chances of retaining power in next year’s election.The controversial bill has cleared three confidence votes in the lower house of parliament, with the final secret ballot scheduled for Thursday. It passed on Wednesday by 228 votes to 144, bringing the government closer to securing ultimate approval for the overhaul.The reform would replace Italy’s current electoral system, which combines directly elected constituency seats with proportional representation, with a fully proportional system that rewards the winning coalition with additional seats if it secures at least 42% of the vote. Opposition parties have condemned the proposal, accusing Meloni’s coalition of changing the rules because it fears losing the 2027 election. They have also questioned whether the pr...