Meloni admits defeat as Italians reject judicial reform in major referendum

Published on 23/03/2026 - 17:24 GMT+1

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni conceded decision Monday successful a referendum connected judicial betterment but said she would not resign.

"The Italians person decided. And we respect this decision," Meloni said successful a connection connected X. "This does not alteration our committedness to continue, with seriousness and determination, to enactment for the bully of the federation and to honour the mandate entrusted to us."

Voters rejected the law reform, with astir 55% voting nary and 45% voting yes, based connected astir each the votes counted. Turnout reached astir 59%.

The betterment would person divided Italy's judiciary into abstracted vocation paths for judges and prosecutors, divided the Superior Council of the Magistracy into 2 bodies and created a caller Disciplinary Court.

Italy presently operates a unified judiciary wherever judges and prosecutors beryllium to the aforesaid nonrecreational body. They instrumentality the aforesaid entranceway exam and tin power betwixt roles during their careers.

Parliament approved the betterment successful October 2025 but it failed to unafraid the two-thirds bulk needed to debar a fashionable vote.

The referendum was confirmatory, meaning the instrumentality would person entered unit lone if the fashionable ballot was successful favour. No turnout quorum was required.

Galeazzo Bignami, person of Meloni's Brothers of Italy radical successful the Chamber of Deputies, said helium had hoped for a antithetic outcome. "It is simply a agreed connection from the centre-right," helium said, noting the full conjugation had committed to the betterment successful 2022. "It cannot beryllium said that the triumph would beryllium ours and the decision of the others."

Nicola Fratoianni, co-founder of the Green Left Alliance, said the close wanted to overturn the warrant system. "It went severely for them," helium said. "Whoever sided with the yes enactment made a glaring mistake, connected the merits and from a governmental constituent of view."

Matteo Renzi, person of Italia Viva, who abstained erstwhile the betterment was approved successful parliament, recommended that the authorities perceive to the people. Renzi resigned arsenic premier and person of the Democratic Party aft losing a law referendum helium had promoted successful 2016.

Cesare Parodi, president of the National Association of Magistrates, announced his resignation connected Monday. The determination was made for household reasons, but the timing coincided with the preliminary results.

Opponents argued the betterment would erode judicial independency and springiness the authorities power implicit the magistracy, a assertion Meloni denied.

Meloni has led Italy's authorities since October 2022. Her mandate runs done 2027.