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Centre‑Right Pushes Contested Electoral Law as Coalition Splits Over Preferences

Stalled talks on how to introduce preferential voting have left the early July vote uncertain and kept opposition pressure high.

Overview

  • On Tuesday the majority continued to advance the so‑called Melonellum or Stabilicum but sherpa meetings had not resolved the key dispute over preferential voting, leaving no final compromise on the table.
  • Opposition parties have coordinated a multi‑front response that includes shared and individual amendments, a social media campaign highlighting healthcare waiting lists, and a threatened appeal to the Constitutional Court.
  • The draft law contains new registration rules that require signature collection from formations without parliamentary groups, a measure the majority describes as a technical safeguard but critics call an 'anti‑Vannacci' barrier to new entrants.
  • Parliamentary timing is fluid because planned early‑July votes face possible postponement due to opposition events, transport maintenance and strikes, and strategic maneuvers tied to secret ballots and floor arithmetic.
  • Critics warn the bill’s mechanics—large majority prizes and a role for a named premier on lists—amount to a de facto premierato that could consolidate governing power and, following Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s recent comments about the Quirinale, influence the next presidential succession.