Italian Judicial Reform Rejected – A Brief Look at the Referendum Results

According to a report by Index.hu, a majority of Italian voters rejected the government's proposals in the referendum on judicial reform.

In the article, Dr. Árpád Vásárhelyi, an expert on Italy, assessed the results and their political implications.

High turnout, clear rejection

The referendum held on March 22–23 saw a notably high turnout compared to typical Italian referendums:

• the turnout rate was nearly 59%,

• which significantly exceeds the usual level for this type of vote.

The majority of voters ultimately rejected the judicial reform, which could have serious political consequences.

Why did the reform fail?

According to expert analysis, the government made a strategic mistake.

The cabinet assumed that higher turnout would strengthen their position, but reality showed the exact opposite.

Particularly noteworthy is that:

• a significant proportion of the younger age group (18–34 years) rejected the proposal,

• many people even traveled home from abroad to vote.

Political Consequences

Although the government had previously stated that the referendum should not be viewed as a vote of confidence, experts argue that this position was untenable in practice.

The result:

• It could weaken Giorgia Meloni's political position,

• It could trigger internal tensions within the government,

• especially among the political forces behind the reform.

Another factor at play is that the reform can be seen as a continuation of an earlier political project.

What does the result show?

One important lesson from the referendum is that the outcome of Italian referendums is not determined solely by the policy content.

According to the expert, it is much more a matter of:

• the current political balance of power,

• as well as public satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the government.

The original article

The full article can be read here:

https://index.hu/kulfold/2026/03/27/olaszorszag-nepszavazas-referendum-igazsagugyi-reform-giorgia-meloni-vasarhelyi-arpad/

Source

Index.hu (March 27, 2026)