Italy holds referendum on judicial reform in test for Prime Minister Meloni
Mar 22nd 2026 · Italy
Italians vote on a constitutional change to reorganize the judiciary; the result is a political test for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her governing coalition.
- Referendum asks voters to separate the career paths of judges and prosecutors and create distinct governing and disciplinary bodies for each.
- There is no turnout threshold; the side with the most votes over two days wins the referendum.
- Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is actively campaigning for a yes vote, arguing the changes will make the justice system more efficient and accountable.
- Opposition parties and trade unions campaign for no, saying the reform risks weakening judicial checks and using the vote as a protest against Meloni.
- The reform will not reduce court backlogs and its impact depends on follow-up legislation and implementation.
- A no result would not force Meloni to resign but would politically weaken her ahead of future elections.
Articles
- Italy is voting on whether to change its constitution. What does this mean for Meloni? www.bbc.com
- Italy’s Leader Wants to Change the Constitution. Italians Don’t Get It. www.nytimes.com
- Meloni v the judges: high stakes for Italian PM in vote on judiciary overhaul www.theguardian.com
- Meloni Faces Major Test as Italy Holds Referendum on Justice www.bloomberg.com
- Italians vote in high-stakes justice referendum in key test for Meloni www.aljazeera.com
- Italy’s justice referendum becomes a high stakes test for conservative Premier Giorgia Meloni apnews.com
- Italy votes on high-stakes justice referendum, a key test for Meloni's government www.euronews.com
- Strong early turnout in Italy referendum with high stakes for Meloni www.politico.eu
- Italy’s justice referendum becomes key test for PM Meloni’s leadership www.france24.com
- Italy holds high-stakes referendum on judiciary reform www.france24.com
- Italy votes in judicial reform referendum seen as key test for PM Meloni www.france24.com