Italians vote this weekend in a constitutional referendum on the separation of judicial careers, in a defining test for Meloni and her right-wing government.
Italians began casting their votes early on Sunday in a referendum that could reshape the country’s justice system and determine the political fortunes of premier Giorgia Meloni.
Polling stations are open across Italy on Sunday, from 07.00 to 23.00, and again on Monday from 07.00 to 15.00.
The vote is the culmination of months of fierce political and civic debate, and is widely regarded as the most consequential domestic test of Meloni’s tenure since she came to power in 2022.
Reform
The justice reform, championed by Meloni’s right-wing government, was approved by parliament last October but requires a referendum to become law.
The proposed measures seek to address long-standing criticisms regarding the efficiency, accountability and impartiality of the Italian courts, with proponents arguing that sweeping changes are essential to modernise a system often perceived as slow and overly politicised.
The central pillar of the reform is the permanent separation of careers for judges and prosecutors.
Currently, those wishing to become a magistrate take a single public competition valid for both positions and can subsequently decide whether to become a public prosecutor or a judge, and can switch between the two roles once within the first nine years of their career.
The reform aims to force an early and permanent choice, theoretically ensuring that judges remain entirely neutral arbiters rather than former colleagues of the prosecution.
The proposed changes would also replace the current single judiciary council, which oversees appointments, careers and disciplinary actions, with two distinct councils – one for judges and one for prosecutors – while a new, separate high disciplinary court would be established to handle sanctions against magistrates.
The campaign
Meloni has hailed the reform as an important step towards a more efficient, balanced and citizen-orientated system, insisting that no one is thinking of getting rid of the judiciary.
She has argued that the power of magistrates is enormous and unaccountable, and that the reform addresses the root causes of the system’s malfunctioning rather than any desire to undermine the separation of powers. She has also vowed not to resign if the No side wins.
In recent weeks, after remaining silent, Meloni was increasingly vocal in her calls for a Yes vote.
In an unconventional final push, she appeared as a guest on the Pulp Podcast hosted by rapper Fedez – a figure who has frequently clashed with her administration on civil rights and freedom of expression.
The move was seen as an attempt to sway younger voters and reach a demographic that remains largely disengaged from mainstream political debate.
The podcast’s producers clarified that they had repeatedly invited opposition leaders Elly Schlein of the Partito Democratico and Giuseppe Conte of the Movimento 5 Stelle to participate. They said that Schlein turned down the offer and that Conte failed to respond.
Opposition
Critics of the reforms, including the National Association of Magistrates and the centre-left opposition, warn of potential risks to judicial independence.
Schlein accused the government of seeking to decide which crimes should be prosecuted and which should perhaps receive less attention, arguing that the reform is being pursued by a government that wants to tell judges which charges they should bring.
Meloni herself has been stepping up her attacks on the judiciary in the final days of the campaign.
She has referred to alleged left-wing factions within the magistracy and criticised what she described as surreal rulings, including in the so-called Forest Family case, in which a court ordered the separation of a family living off-grid.
She claimed that if the reform fails to pass, Italy will find itself with even more powerful factions, even more negligent judges who advance their careers, and even more surreal decisions.
What is at stake
The outcome of the vote carries significant weight beyond its immediate constitutional implications.
Polls in the days before the vote suggested the No side held a slight lead, though a substantial portion of the electorate remained undecided or unaware of the reform’s specifics.
Meloni and her right-wing coalition have long been at odds with Italy’s judiciary, regularly accusing magistrates of stymying government plans from immigration to public works.
A victory for the Yes side would represent a generational transformation of a justice system that has been the subject of political controversy for decades.
A defeat, even one she has pledged not to treat as a resignation trigger, would nonetheless embolden her opponents and cast a shadow over the government’s broader legislative agenda ahead of the next general election in 2027.
Photo credit: Paolo Bona / Shutterstock.com.
