Landini Acknowledges Failure to Reach Quorum in Labour and Citizenship Referenda

Rome: Maurizio Landini, leader of the CGIL trade union that proposed the five referenda on labour and citizenship rights, acknowledged Monday that the goal of reaching a quorum had not been achieved but emphasized that the issues raised remain significant.

According to Ansa News Agency, with over half the votes tallied, the referenda had reached just under 30%. These referenda, initiated by Italy’s largest and most left-wing trade union, CGIL, aimed to abolish various regulations. Four of these pertained to labour legislation, including three derived from the 2016 Jobs Act, which liberalized the labour market. The fifth referendum addressed the rules for non-EU citizens to obtain Italian citizenship.

A positive outcome on the citizenship referendum would have reduced the required years of residence in Italy for non-EU citizens to apply for citizenship from ten years to five. Despite the failure to reach the quorum, Landini remarked, “Our objective was to reach the quorum, it is clear that we have not reached it. Today is not a day of victory. At the same time, the latest data tell us that over 14 million people voted in our country, to which will be added the Italians abroad: an important number, a starting number. The problems that we have raised with the referendums remain on the table.”