Politics
Italy's parliament approves electoral overhaul granting bonus seats to winners
October 8, 2026 at 01:29 PM
Coverage
3 reports · over 2 hours
TGThe Guardian
Giorgia Meloni wins vote on controversial ‘bonus seat’ changes to electoral system
(opens the publisher’s site)
AJAl Jazeera English
Italian law to give election winners bonus seats: Why that’s controversial
(opens the publisher’s site)
BNBBC News
Italy overhauls electoral system after fiercely contested debate
(opens the publisher’s site)Italy's parliament has approved a fully proportional electoral system that awards bonus seats to parties and coalitions winning majorities.
- Parliament voted 227 to 164 on Thursday in favor of the reform championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
- The law grants dozens of additional seats to any party or coalition crossing a 42 percent threshold in both chambers and requires coalitions to name a joint prime-minister candidate before elections.
- Meloni said she would resign if the reform were rejected.
- Opposition leaders accused the government of flouting democracy; Democratic Party chief Elly Schlein said her bloc would win under any voting system.
- The vote took place by secret ballot in the lower house amid protests from opposition lawmakers.
- Opposition parties vowed to challenge the law in the constitutional court, arguing it aims to keep Meloni's coalition in power.
- Meloni said the reform would deliver greater political stability, defending the overhaul against opposition criticism.