Italian majority tightens discipline as parliament votes on new electoral law

Ahead of the decisive secret vote on Italy's electoral reform, the centre-right majority is imposing a "maximum concentration" policy, requiring every deputy and any minister who holds a seat to stay in the Chamber of Deputies. Galeazzo Bignami, leader of the largest party Fratelli d'Italia, and parliamentary liaison minister Luca Ciriani have ordered the suspension of all committee work and government missions until the ballot is finished.

Only a pre-approved exemption from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni can allow a minister-deputy to be absent, a rule that was applied last week when Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin attended an international energy summit in Algiers. The coalition is counting on this strict attendance to push the reform through, while speculation remains about whether Meloni herself will appear in the Chamber on the voting day. The move follows a series of confidence votes and reflects the bloc's determination to reshape the electoral system before the next election cycle.