A recent referendum in Italy aimed at relaxing citizenship regulations and boosting workers’ rights has been annulled due to insufficient voter participation. Approximately 30% of the electorate cast their votes, failing to meet the 50% benchmark necessary for the poll’s legitimacy. The voting period commenced on Sunday and concluded at 15:00 local time on Monday.
The referendum posed five significant questions, one of which proposed reducing the residency requirement for citizenship applications from 10 to 5 years. Despite being backed by civic organizations and trade unions in favor of the Yes vote, the campaign encountered obstacles owing to the Italian government’s indifference, primarily under the influence of hard-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who actively discouraged participation.
Political analyst Lorenzo Pregliasco noted that such a turnout was disappointing, falling below the expectations set by referendum supporters. Meloni previously characterized the existing citizenship law as “excellent,” and chose to abstain from voting herself.
Opponents, including Pina Picierno from the Democratic Party, expressed their disappointment, labeling this failure as a significant loss for their cause. In light of this outcome, discussions have emerged about increasing the requirements for initiating a referendum, as many ballots end up unutilized, resulting in wasted resources. Historically, only around half of Italy’s referendums since World War II have garnered sufficient votes to be binding.
Source: www.bbc.com
