Italy passes Meloni’s electoral reform, sets 42% threshold for parliamentary majority

The reform could nevertheless create an opportunity for the centre-left if its parties can overcome their differences and form a broad alliance. Recent polls put Meloni’s Brothers of Italy at about 28%, followed by the Democratic Party at around 20% and Five Star at 12.5%. Italy’s parliament on Thursday gave final approval to an electoral reform championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The reform introduces a fully proportional voting system that gives a parliamentary majority to alliances winning more than 42% of the vote ahead of a national election due by the end of next year.It was approved by the lower house in a secret ballot by 227 votes to 164, despite strong opposition from centre-left parties. Meloni had warned that she would resign if the legislation failed, making the vote a key test of her governing coalition.The Italian PM said the new system would help deliver more stable governments and give voters a greater say in choosing political programmes and prime ministerial candidates."Stable governments and greater participation mean more continuity, more accountability and a greater ability to provide concrete answers to Italians," Meloni wrote on X after the vote.The...