An Italian referendum aimed at easing citizenship requirements and strengthening labor protections has failed, following calls by hard-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for voters to boycott the poll.
When voting concluded on Monday, it was clear many Italians followed Meloni’s appeal, with turnout reaching only 30 percent—well below the 50 percent plus one threshold needed for the referendum to be legally valid.
The result marked a significant setback for the center-left opposition, which had proposed cutting the residency requirement for citizenship applications from 10 years to five, as well as reversing labor market reforms enacted a decade ago.
Meloni declared herself “absolutely against” the citizenship proposals, stating she would go to the polls but abstain from voting.
While her government aims to reduce irregular immigration, it has simultaneously increased the number of work visas for immigrants.
Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party posted on social media that the “only real goal” behind the referendum was to topple her government, adding alongside photos of opposition leaders:
“In the end, it was the Italians who brought you down.”
Opinion polls from mid-May showed that only 46 percent of Italians were aware of the issues at stake in the referendum.
Opposition parties and activists accused the government coalition of intentionally suppressing interest in key topics affecting immigrants and workers.
Supporters of the citizenship reform argued the changes would help the children of non-EU parents better integrate into a culture they already identify with.
The proposed changes would have impacted approximately 2.5 million foreign nationals.
Other referendum questions focused on labor issues such as enhanced protections against unfair dismissal, increased severance pay, and converting fixed-term contracts into permanent employment.
With input from Al Jazeera
