Meloni government urges voters to abstain as campaigners fear low turnout
Italy is holding a divisive referendum on Sunday and Monday in which the country’s voters will be asked if they wish to ease citizenship rules and reform labour laws.
The referendum is backed strongly by the centre-left opposition and trade unions but is opposed by premier Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government which is urging people to abstain.
Voters are being asked whether the waiting time for non-EU citizens to become eligible to apply for Italian citizenship via residency should be cut from the current 10 years down to five.
Under the current citizenship legislation, which dates to 1992, non-EU nationals are required to be legally resident in Italy for 10 years before they can apply for citizenship, and children born in Italy to foreigners cannot apply for citizenship until they turn 18.
The other four referendum questions, promoted by the CGIL trade union, include a push to abolish the Jobs Act, the labour reform implemented by the Renzi government in 2016.
The proposed reforms include restoring stronger protections against unlawful dismissals, removing the cap on compensation for unfair dismissals in small businesses, reintroducing stricter regulations on fixed-term employment contracts, and increasing employer accountability for workplace safety.
Under Italian law, a referendum result can only be valid if the voter turnout or “quorum” surpasses 50 per cent plus one.
Meloni has vowed to show up at the polling station but not pick up her ballot paper, meaning she will not contribute to the quorum, a move she described as “everyone’s right”.
She also said she was “totally against” halving the time for citizenship, saying Italy’s current citizenship legislation was “excellent”, sparking outrage from the centre-left opposition.
Campaigners fear that the abstention tactic pushed by the prime minister, along with other right-wing opponents urging voters to head to the beach instead of the polling station, risks rendering the referendum vote invalid.
Photo Wanted in Rome, Testaccio, 8 June 2025.
