Low Turnout in Italy’s Labour and Citizenship Rights Referenda

Rome: The turnout for five referenda on labour and citizenship rights in Italy reached just 29.15%, with 27,943 of the 61,591 polling stations counted, according to the interior ministry. The voting concluded at three pm on Monday, falling significantly short of the required 50% plus one vote quorum necessary for the referenda to be valid.

According to Ansa News Agency, government officials described the low turnout as a defeat for the centre-left opposition. The opposition had argued that a successful passage of the referenda would have served as a significant message to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration. The referenda, initially proposed by Italy’s largest left-wing trade union, CGIL, aimed to revoke several regulations. These included four concerning labour legislation, with three originating from the 2016 Jobs Act, which had liberalized the labour market. Additionally, one measure sought to amend the requirements for non-EU citizens to obtain Italian citizenship.

The proposed changes in the citizenship referenda included reducing the residency period required for non-EU citizens to apply for Italian citizenship from ten years to five. Notably, Giorgia Meloni chose not to participate in the voting, as she had announced prior to the referendum, a move that was viewed as controversial. Her decision, along with government officials’ encouragement for citizens to avoid voting and instead spend the day at the beach, contributed to the low voter turnout.