Italy Adopts Fully Proportional Election Law With 42% Majority Bonus
Italy's Chamber of Deputies gave final approval on 8 October 2026 to an electoral overhaul backed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that replaces the country's hybrid voting system with a fully proportional one.
Lawmakers voted 227 to 164 in favour of the change, according to the most recent reporting, clearing the reform ahead of general elections due next year BBC. The lower-house vote was the final parliamentary approval Reuters. It followed clearance of an initial confidence-vote hurdle on 6 October, a vote where the government's survival is tied to the bill.
Under the previous system, about a third of seats were filled by first-past-the-post vote, where the candidate with the most votes in a local district wins, and the rest by proportional representation, where seats match vote share. The new law moves to fully proportional allocation for both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. It moves beyond single-member constituencies to a predominantly proportional-based model, like slicing seats to mirror the vote.
Two rules qualify that proportionality. A coalition or party winning more than 42% of the vote will be awarded dozens of additional seats, a seat bonus that guarantees a parliamentary majority to a qualifying alliance. Parties planning to form a coalition must also put forward their joint candidate for prime minister and their political programme before a general election.
The final parliamentary vote was held by secret ballot, where individual choices are not recorded by name, and was seen as a test of Meloni's authority over her own majority. Meloni had warned she could resign and trigger an early election if the reform plans were rejected, raising the cost of dissent or abstention.
Meloni argued the new system will boost the chance of clear winners and more stable government. She said the rules are designed to promote the stability and parliamentary coherence of any government regardless of political colour. Opposition parties said the proposals were designed by Meloni's right-wing coalition to improve its chance of retaining power. Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein said her party would win under any voting system.
Meloni was elected in 2022. Her government has become Italy's longest-running government since World War Two. Her term officially ends in October 2027, leaving a narrow window for implementation and judicial review before the next campaign.
The Senate held its 453rd public sitting on 14 September 2026, with the electoral bill modifying the electoral system of both houses and including a reform of the election of deputies and senators elected abroad. Stenographic reports place detailed discussion of the electoral law on 9 and 10 September 2026. Earlier government statements described the broader constitutional objective as strengthening the stability of governments and enabling implementation of medium-long term policies.
The broader context here is governability. Proportional allocation preserves the translation of vote shares into seats. The 42% threshold plus bonus then manufactures a working majority without a second round. Pre-declaration of prime-ministerial candidate and programme formalises coalition commitments that were previously political rather than electoral-law obligations.
In my view, the questions are now operational. A fixed bonus threshold creates sharp discontinuities around 42%. Small shifts in vote share or alliance perimeter can decide majority control. Pre-electoral disclosure may clarify accountability to voters. It may also harden coalition bargaining before the vote, since partners must agree publicly on leadership and programme to qualify jointly for the bonus. Courts, administrators and party strategists will determine how those incentives work in practice.
