Political irony marked the outcome of the 2026 constitutional referendum. While voters in Italy inflicted a historic defeat on Giorgia Meloni, Italians residing in South America—and especially in Brazil—extended a hand to the Prime Minister. The result in Brazil, where the “YES” won with 71,5%, was received with enthusiasm by the party Brothers of Italy (FdI).
"It's no small consolation," says Senator Meloni.
The senator Robert Menia, who called the descendants "fake Italians"He spared no praise for the result coming from Brazilian soil. For him, the vote abroad demonstrated a "reliability" superior to that of many regions of Italy itself.
"It is not a meager consolation, but a political fact to start from: Italians abroad have demonstrated that they have understood the heart of the government's measure to modernize the justice system." Menia declared, who is responsible for the Department of Italians Abroad of the Fratelli d'Italia (FdI) party.
The party is now using the massive support of South Americans, previously rejected, as a moral shield against the internal crisis shaking the coalition in Rome.
Ideological alignment
The result is curious because it occurs amidst one of the periods of greatest tension between the Italian-Brazilian community and the Meloni government. It was under the administration of Antonio Tajani (Deputy Prime Minister and Meloni ally) that strict rules and administrative restrictions were imposed to limit the recognition of citizenship.
Why did Brazil vote "YES"?
Experts consulted by Italianism explain that voting in Brazil was a "mirror" of local politics.
For many, the "Yes" vote was identified as the vote of the right wing, guaranteeing the automatic support of those who align with that position in Brazil, regardless of the technical nuances of Italian law.
For the Meloni government, the Brazilian vote is the "political data to start over." It remains to be seen whether this massive support will translate into a more flexible stance regarding citizenship processes, or whether the government will continue to reap the votes of a community that, in practice, it continues to restrict.
With the vote count in the Italian judicial referendum now complete, the official result indicates a victory for the 'No' vote. 53,23% of preference, exceeding the 46,77% obtained by the government. The participation was considered significant by Italian standards, reaching 58,9% of the citizens eligible to vote.
