Italy's parliament approves electoral reform

Italy’s parliament gave final approval Thursday to a sweeping overhaul of the country’s electoral system, handing Premier Giorgia Meloni a key political victory while setting up a likely constitutional battle over the reform. [ . . . ] The reform introduces a big majority prize that will award bonus parliamentary seats in both houses of parliament to the winning preelection alliance, provided it wins at least 42% of the national vote. Critics contend that such a “majority prize” distorts voter representation and could conflict with previous court rulings that struck down elements of earlier electoral laws. A successful challenge could force Meloni’s conservative government to revise the system before the next general election. The new law abolishes Italy’s current mixed electoral system, in which about one-third of parliamentary seats are elected in first-past-the-post constituencies, and replaces it with a fully proportional system.
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