Italy's Citizenship Dream Derailed Referendum Flops!

Italian Citizenship Referendum Deemed Void After Dismal Voter Turnout

A recent referendum in Italy aimed at easing citizenship rules and bolstering workers' rights has been declared invalid due to a shockingly low voter turnout. The poll, which took place on June 8th and 9th, saw only around **30%** of eligible voters participate, falling far short of the **50% threshold** required to make the outcome binding.

The referendum, born from a citizens' initiative and championed by various civil society groups and trade unions, presented five questions to the Italian public. A key proposal was to **halve the residency requirement for citizenship applications from 10 to 5 years**, aligning Italy more closely with its European neighbors.

The low turnout, with some regions like Sicily and Calabria reporting figures as low as **22%**, represents a significant setback for advocates of the proposed changes. Several factors contributed to the outcome:

• Government Disinterest: The Italian government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, largely ignored the referendum and, in some instances, actively discouraged participation.
• Meloni's Stance: Prime Minister Meloni publicly announced her boycott of the vote, praising Italy's existing citizenship law as "excellent" and "very open."
• High Threshold: Historically, reaching the 50% participation threshold in Italian referendums has proven challenging.

Lorenzo Pregliasco, founder of political polling company YouTrend, described the turnout as "a low figure, below the expectations and targets set by the promoters."

Political Fallout

The referendum's failure has ignited a flurry of political reactions. Meloni's Brothers of Italy (FdI) party swiftly took to social media, posting a celebratory message directed at opposition leaders, claiming "You've lost!" Their post stated that the referendum was an attempt to topple the Meloni government, and that Italians had instead toppled the opposition.

Conversely, Pina Picierno of the opposition Democratic Party (PD) lamented the outcome as a "deep, serious and avoidable defeat," calling the failure to reach the threshold a "huge gift to Giorgia Meloni and the right."

Calls for Reform

The low turnout has also reignited discussions about the feasibility of referendums in Italy and the requirements to initiate one. Currently, half a million signatures are needed to call a referendum. Foreign minister Antonio Tajani voiced concerns over the cost of sending ballots abroad for Italian expats, suggesting the threshold for initiating a referendum should be increased.

Historical Context

Since World War Two, Italy has held **78 referendums**, with only about half reaching the required threshold to be binding. The first referendum, in 1946, saw an impressive **89% turnout**, resulting in the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the Italian Republic. Referendums on issues like abortion and divorce have also been successfully held in the past.

The last referendum to achieve the necessary turnout was in 2011, when voters rejected a law privatizing water services.

The failure of this recent referendum underscores the challenges in engaging the Italian public on complex policy issues. Whether it spurs meaningful reform to the referendum process remains to be seen. However, it serves as a reminder of the importance of civic engagement and the potential consequences of voter apathy. The next step is seeing whether this will encourage those who wanted the changes to redouble their efforts or dishearten them from future attempts at reform.

Tags: Italian referendum, citizenship rules, low turnout, workers' rights, Italy vote, Sicily, Calabria, five years, easing rules, invalid poll, Giorgia Meloni, voter apathy

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crr7vg1zdklo