Italy adopts electoral reform that adds a parliamentary majority bonus

Italy's bicameral parliament has passed an electoral amendment that will allocate an additional 105 parliamentary seats to any alliance that secures a predetermined share of the popular vote, a move intended to create a more stable governing majority. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition, comprising her own party, Lega, Forza Italia, Noi Moderati and smaller centre-right groups, supports the change as a solution to the country's historically fragmented party system.

The legislation also obliges each coalition to present a prime-ministerial candidate ahead of the election, which must be held by next year, with early voting rumored for the spring. Opposition figures, notably Elly Schlein of the Partito Democratico, denounce the law as a tactic to cement Meloni's authority, dubbing it a “Melonellukki.” Recent polling places the governing bloc just under the required vote share, while the left-wing opposition lags slightly behind, both needing smaller parties to reach the threshold. Critics argue that a higher vote share would be a more legitimate basis for the bonus, but the law proceeds despite these concerns.