Italy Projections: Meloni fails with judicial reform
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has clearly failed with her plans for a fundamental overhaul of the judiciary, according to consensus projections.
23.03.2026, 15:28
23.03.2026, 16:16
SDA
In a referendum, 53.9 percent of Italians rejected the plans of Meloni's right-wing coalition, according to a new projection by the television station Rai. Only 46.1 percent voted in favor. Other institutes also saw the "no" camp clearly in the lead.
This would be a major defeat for the leader of the right-wing party Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) one and a half years before the next regular parliamentary elections. Before the referendum, Meloni had ruled out drawing personal consequences in the event of a no vote. So far, she and the Fratelli are far ahead of all other parties in all polls. The 49-year-old has now been in power longer than almost all other previous Italian heads of government.
Critics fear for the independence of the judiciary
Meloni's coalition of three right-wing and conservative parties had set itself the goal of restructuring the judicial system in key areas. Critics see this as a threat to the independence of judges and public prosecutors.
Both the public broadcaster Rai and other media saw the No camp leading by several percentage points after the polls closed at 3.00 pm. The final result is expected later on Monday.
Both chambers of parliament had already approved the project. However, as the constitution has to be amended for the judicial reform, a referendum was also held on Sunday and Monday.
At around 58%, voter turnout was very high for a referendum. The referendum was also seen as a mood test ahead of the next parliamentary elections, which are scheduled for fall 2027. More than 46 million citizens were eligible to vote.
Italy's right has been complaining about "red robes" for decades
Italy's right has been complaining for decades that large parts of the judiciary are on the side of the left. Even former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who himself had to go to court several times, repeatedly complained about "red robes". The opposition and several organizations of judges and public prosecutors, on the other hand, accuse the prime minister of wanting to make the judiciary complaisant.
The core of Meloni's plans was to separate the careers of judges and public prosecutors, as is common practice in most European countries. In addition, there were to be new self-governing bodies for judges and public prosecutors. Parliament should be involved in their appointment. This would give politicians more influence over personnel decisions.
Despite all the controversy, most people agree that there is indeed a need for reform in the Italian judicial system. It takes much longer than in many other countries for justice to be delivered. According to a survey, only four out of ten Italians trust their justice system.
