EditMeloni’s majority defeated in the Chamber on amendment for preferential votes
The bill under discussionprovides for a proportional system with a majority bonus for the coalition exceeding 42% of votes
On July 14, the Chamber of Deputies rejected by secret ballot an amendment sponsored primarily by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (FdI), Noi Moderati, and the Union of the Centre. The amendment aimed to reintroduce preferential voting into the government-backed electoral reform. The proposal was defeated by a single vote: 188 against, 187 in favor. It was sunk by around thirty “snipers” (dissident voters) from the majority, despite the government’s favorable opinion and announced support from the League and Forza Italia.
Opposition parties called for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s resignation. On social media, Meloni described the outcome as another victory for the “swamp.” That same evening, the centre-left coalition gathered in Piazza Montecitorio for the “Night of Democracy” protest, organized by +Europa and Volt against what progressive forces call the “Melonellum.”
The amendment
The amendment (No. 1.1077) modified Article 1 of the bill. It proposed a mixed system: blocked head-of-list candidates followed by the option to express up to three preferences on a ballot with seven names, including gender alternation starting from the third candidate (the so-called “Tuscan model”).
Filed on July 13 by FdI, Noi Moderati, and UDC – initially without signatures from the League or Forza Italia – the amendment later gained announced support from those two allies and from Futuro Nazionale. Majority rapporteurs and the government expressed a favorable opinion.
Secret ballot and reactions in the Chamber
The opposition secured a secret ballot, authorized by the presiding office and applied to over a hundred votes. In the afternoon, Meloni had pushed on social media for an open (recorded) vote, calling it a necessary “truth operation” to distinguish genuine supporters of preferences from those acting for tactical reasons.
When acting President Fabio Rampelli read the result, opposition benches erupted in celebration with chants of “resignation” and “elections.” Several votes were missing from the majority’s theoretical numbers.
Meloni and the majority’s response
Replying via social media, the Prime Minister defended the attempt to restore preferences after more than thirty years of closed lists. She blamed the defeat on the secret ballot requested by the opposition. “The swamp has won again,” Meloni wrote, acknowledging that “several votes were missing from the majority” and that “reflection is needed.”
Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani downplayed the episode as “a bump in the road,” assuring that the government would continue and noting that the vote did not concern confidence in the executive.
The majority rejected any immediate political consequences. FdI group leader and first signatory Galeazzo Bignami stressed that it was merely a parliamentary vote and that resignations are “something else.” Forza Italia group leader Enrico Costa denied snipers in his group and confirmed that work would proceed. The conference of group leaders decided to continue examination in a night session. The evening was also marked by protests over a video filmed in the Chamber by some Futuro Nazionale deputies during the secret ballot.
From the Senate, President Ignazio La Russa reminded everyone that bicameralism allows changes to the text approved by the Chamber.
Opposition calls for resignations
Centre-left leaders interpreted the vote as a de facto no-confidence motion. M5S President Giuseppe Conte urged Meloni to open a crisis and “go home.” PD Secretary Elly Schlein spoke of the majority’s “failure” and a vote “against the arrogance” of the Prime Minister. Angelo Bonelli claimed Meloni had been “defeated” by the Chamber, while Matteo Renzi stated that “the majority no longer exists.” Nicola Fratoianni and representatives of +Europa and Italia Viva took similar lines, arguing the reform is now compromised.
To signal the break, the opposition withdrew all its amendments except those on voting rights for non-resident citizens (fuori sede). Institutionally, rejecting a single amendment has no direct effect on the government, which remains in office. However, the political impact is significant: Meloni had made electoral reform a priority, especially after the defeat in the March justice referendum, and being contradicted by her own majority weakens coalition cohesion less than a year before the next general election.
“Night of Democracy” protest in Piazza Montecitorio
The defeat came while “The Night of Democracy” was underway in Piazza Montecitorio, a mobilization promoted from 6 p.m. by +Europa and Volt against the reform. Elly Schlein, Giuseppe Conte, Angelo Bonelli, Nicola Fratoianni, Riccardo Magi, and representatives of the PSI and reformist area joined the vigil. Participants were invited to bring a white flower as a symbol of a democracy “not to be left to die in silence.”
For Volt, co-president Francesca Romana D’Antuono said the government had focused its energies on measures to expand its own control rather than on a project for the country – from an industrial plan to minimum wage and labor policies. “Democracy is not strengthened by reducing citizens’ representation, but by expanding participation,” D’Antuono declared, linking the protest to demands for broader access to electoral competition.
The contested reform
The bill under discussion – called “Stabilicum” by the majority and “Melonellum” by the opposition – provides for a proportional system with a majority bonus for the coalition exceeding 42% of votes and the elimination of single-member districts currently in force under the Rosatellum. According to protest organizers, this mechanism would allow a coalition with 42% of the vote to secure a large majority of seats, distorting the relationship between votes and representation. It would also keep closed lists, continue denying the vote to non-residents, limit digital signatures, and restrict access for new political forces.
The day’s paradox occurred precisely on the issue of closed lists: the defeated amendment was the one that would have partially reintroduced preferences. The opposition rejected it, however, describing it as only an apparent change—with blocked head-of-list and main list candidates and without full gender alternation guarantees—and voted against it together with centre-right snipers. The topic of preferences remains historically controversial in Italy due to the risk of vote trading, an argument long cited by opponents and now at the center of internal majority tensions.
What happens next
Work on the electoral law was expected to resume on Wednesday. The majority intends to complete approval of the text in the version approved by committee. The centre-right aims to file the defeat as an isolated episode, while dossiers on voting for non-residents and elected representatives abroad remain open – the few amendments not withdrawn by the opposition.
On the parliamentary front, the Senate passage may give the majority an opportunity to revise the text, as signaled by the presiding office of Palazzo Madama. The opposition announces obstructionism and reiterates the constitutional legitimacy concerns already raised in preliminary motions, while continuing to demand resignations and early elections.
The article in Italian by EUalive’s partner FocusEurope.it can be found here.
Caption: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reacts as she attends the Master of the Art of Italian Cuisine Award Ceremony at Palazzo Chigi in Rome, Italy, 15 July 2026. EPA/MAURIZIO BRAMBATTI
Updated: July 15, 2026 - 16:46
