Overview
- The Chamber of Deputies voted down the FdI–Noi Moderati–Udc amendment on preferences by 188 to 187 in a secret ballot on Tuesday, overturning a government-backed change to the electoral law.
- Presiding officers authorised secret votes on many amendments, a procedural choice that encouraged defections because deputies could oppose party lines without public attribution.
- Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly endorsed the amendment, urged an open vote and the government formally expressed a favourable opinion rather than remitting the matter to the Chamber, which raised the political stakes of the contest.
- Opposition leaders demanded Meloni’s resignation and early elections after the defeat, while governing parties opened internal recriminations and launched a search for the so‑called 'franchi tiratori' who broke ranks.
- The reform process continues and moves toward the Senate, where secret ballots on this point are not permitted and where the text can still be altered, giving the majority a concrete second chance to change the outcome.