The Italian “Iron Lady” suffered her first major defeat at the polls. In a referendum that brought Italy to a standstill on Sunday (22) and Monday (23), Italians said "NO" à ambitious constitutional reform of the judicial system Proposed by Giorgia Meloni. With almost 98% of the votes counted, the government saw its main 2026 platform crumble by a margin of almost 8 percentage points.
The end of Meloni's invincibility.
Meloni took a big gamble: he went to popular podcasts, such as the one by Fedez, and mobilized his ministers in an aggressive "Yes" campaign.
The strategy, however, was ineffective. The high turnout (58,9%) showed that the opposition electorate, especially in left-wing strongholds such as Tuscany and Emilia-RomagnaThey turned out en masse to transform the technical vote into a plebiscite on the government itself.
What was rejected: Berlusconi's legacy
The reform sought to implement changes that the late Silvio Berlusconi had advocated for decades:
- Career separation: To prevent prosecutors from becoming judges (and vice versa).
- Raffle at CSM: Change the election process for the body that governs the judiciary to avoid "political maneuvering".
- Disciplinary court: Create an external entity to punish judges.
For critics, it was an attempt to "muzzle" the judiciary and protect politicians from investigations. For Meloni, it was "modernization." The people chose the first interpretation.
“Bella Ciao” and the cry of renunciation
The mood following the election results is one of celebration among the opposition and tension in Rome. In Naples, magistrates celebrated to the sound of "Bella Ciao," the anthem of the anti-fascist resistance. In Milan, protesters are already calling for the Prime Minister's resignation.
“Sovereignty belongs to the people. We support the reform to the end and respect the decision,” Meloni declared in a video, attempting to contain the damage and assuring that he will not resign.
