Italians began voting on Sunday in a referendum to confirm a controversial judicial reform proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. a key test for his right-wing coalition ahead of the general elections scheduled for next year.
Voters must decide whether to support constitutional changes to separate the career paths of judges and prosecutors — an issue that has long roiled national politics. and split Italy’s autonomous judicial body into two separate entities.
The vote comes at the end of an intense campaign that pitted the “yes” side, led by Meloni, against the center-left opposition that supported the “no.” lThe polls close at 3:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. GMT) on Monday.
The opposition, led by the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement, has warned that the reform would undermine judicial independence and leave room for political interference, saying it would allow Meloni to strengthen his grip on power.
The government rejects the criticism, arguing that reform is needed to stop the politicization of the elections of members of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, CSM, an autonomous body.or, after scandals revealed secret agreements on the appointments of senior tax officials.
Meloni would likely get a big boost from a “yes” victory, analysts say, as he must deal with the fallout from war with Iran and a stagnant economy near the end of his term.
A victory for the center-left, which is still behind Meloni’s bloc in opinion polls, would strengthen his efforts to build an alliance capable of challenging the prime minister.
Polls released before the two-week restriction period before the election took effect showed the two sides very evenly matched, amid suggestions that Meloni’s supporters might stay home, since they were considered relatively uninterested in this very complex issue.
