Overview
- The Chamber of Deputies voted down the centre‑right amendment on voter preferences by 188 to 187 in a secret ballot on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, handing the government a one‑vote defeat.
- The defeated amendment, backed by Fratelli d’Italia, Noi Moderati and Udc, would have used seven‑name lists with a blocked top candidate (capolista) and allowed up to three voter preferences among the remaining six names with gender alternation.
- Parliamentary procedure shaped the outcome because the presidency authorised many secret‑ballot votes, a format that lets deputies break party discipline anonymously and prompted immediate claims of 'franchi tiratori' inside the majority.
- The result produced intense political fallout: opposition leaders demanded Meloni’s resignation, centre‑right parties traded accusations about internal defectors, and the government so far has dismissed an immediate collapse and will press the legislative process forward.
- Next steps include further Chamber votes and Senate consideration where secret ballots are limited, and political calculations remain central because simulations showed the hybrid system would mainly boost larger parties while having little effect on smaller lists.