Labour and Citizenship Referenda Fail to Meet Quorum Amid Political Tensions

Rome: The turnout for five referenda on labour and citizenship rights fell significantly short of the required quorum, with only 30% voter participation, according to the interior ministry’s announcement after the polls closed on Monday. The referenda failed to achieve the 50%+1 participation needed to be considered valid.

According to Ansa News Agency, the referenda, proposed by Italy’s largest left-wing trade union CGIL, aimed to abolish certain regulations, including those introduced by the 2016 Jobs Act that liberalized the labour market, as well as rules concerning non-EU citizens’ eligibility for Italian citizenship. A favorable outcome for the citizenship referendum would have reduced the residency requirement for non-EU citizens from ten to five years.

Government officials had urged citizens to abstain from voting, portraying the referenda as unnecessary and costly, advocating instead for a leisurely day at the beach. This call was met with criticism from the centre-left opposition, who accused the government of undermining democratic processes. Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister, notably abstained from voting, reinforcing the government’s stance.

Despite acknowledging the defeat of the referenda, opposition leaders noted that the number of participants exceeded those who voted Meloni into power in 2022. Elly Schlein, leader of the Democratic Party (PD), emphasized that over 14 million Italians participated, surpassing the 12 million who voted for the current government. Schlein expressed confidence in revisiting the issues in future elections, criticizing the government’s celebration of low voter turnout.

Giuseppe Conte, head of the 5-Star Movement (M5S), echoed these sentiments, urging respect for the 15 million voters who participated. He highlighted the number of ‘yes’ votes, equating it to Meloni’s voter base, and pledged continued support for labour protections in Parliament.

Maurizio Landini, leader of the CGIL trade union, accused the government of manipulating the democratic process and criticized their lack of understanding of the referenda’s content. He argued that scheduling the referenda alongside local elections would have ensured a quorum.

In contrast, Antonio Tajani, Deputy Premier and leader of Forza Italia, claimed victory for the government, asserting that the opposition’s attempt to challenge the government through the referenda had failed. He argued that the government’s position was strengthened by the outcome.

Had the referenda been validated, they would have garnered overwhelming majorities in favor of labour rights reforms and a significant majority for citizenship reforms. The failure to meet the quorum has intensified calls from the centre-left to abolish the quorum requirement for future referenda.