Overview
- The Chamber of Deputies rejected the amendment sponsored by Fratelli d'Italia, Noi Moderati and Udc in a secret ballot on Tuesday, with 188 votes against and 187 in favour.
- The amendment would have kept a blocked lead candidate (capolista bloccato) and allowed voters to mark up to three preferences among the other listed candidates, with gender alternation in the lists.
- Lega and Forza Italia signalled they would back the text after earlier hesitation but the secret vote produced defections from the governing ranks, with parliamentary sources estimating about 30 majority deputies voted against the amendment.
- Opposition leaders immediately demanded Meloni's resignation and early elections while majority parties traded accusations and continued parliamentary proceedings on the electoral law without collapsing the government.
- Simulations cited in coverage show the mixed model would make preferences meaningful mainly for larger parties while leaving smaller lists largely dependent on party nominations, a distribution that shaped party positions and could drive further intra‑coalition bargaining and legal challenges.