Italy’s Chamber of Deputies has given final parliamentary approval to an overhaul of the voting system ahead of the national election due in 2027.
Lawmakers approved the measure by 227 votes to 164 in a secret ballot. The reform replaces the mixed system under which roughly one-third of seats were decided in single-member constituencies and the rest by proportional representation. Both chambers will now be elected through a proportional system.
An alliance winning more than 42 per cent of the national vote would receive a majority bonus: 70 additional seats in the 400-member Chamber and 35 in the 200-member Senate, subject to the law’s overall limits. If no alliance crosses the threshold, seats will be allocated proportionally.
Parties and coalitions must identify a candidate for prime minister before the election, although the Constitution leaves the formal appointment of the head of government to the president. The rules retain vote thresholds for representation and raise signature requirements for some parties seeking to appear on the ballot.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition says the changes are intended to make governments more stable. Opposition parties argue that the majority bonus may distort representation and favour the governing alliance. Some opponents have said they will pursue a constitutional challenge, but no court has ruled on the new system.
The vote completes the measure’s passage through Parliament. Promulgation by the president and publication in the official gazette are still required before it enters into force. Its first practical test is expected at the next general election.
