Meloni's electoral reform collapses in parliament as coalition fractures

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government suffered a significant parliamentary setback on Tuesday when MPs rejected a crucial amendment to her flagship electoral reform by secret ballot, according to the BBC and the Guardian. The defeat—the second major rejection of a government priority this year—has triggered opposition calls for Meloni's resignation and raised questions about the stability of her ruling coalition ahead of 2027 general elections.

The secret ballot exposed fractures within Meloni's own coalition, with some government MPs voting against the amendment despite party discipline. According to the Guardian, the Italian opposition has seized on the defeat to demand new elections, framing it as evidence that the government has lost parliamentary control. The BBC reported that the setback came after weeks of political tension over the electoral system, a longstanding flashpoint in Italian politics where competing factions have failed for years to agree on a stable framework.