The initiative aimed to ease access to citizenship for foreigners and strengthen labor rights, but only 30% of eligible voters cast their ballots.
Italian Referendum on Citizenship Reform Fails Due to Low Voter Turnout
Italian Referendum on Citizenship Reform Fails Due to Low Voter Turnout
A significant citizenship reform referendum in Italy did not achieve the necessary participation for validation.
The recent referendum in Italy, designed to simplify the citizenship application process for foreigners, resulted in a disappointing turnout, ultimately failing to meet the required threshold for validity. Polls confirmed that only about 30% of eligible Italians participated in the vote that took place over the weekend, falling short of the 50% participation necessary. This referendum proposed reducing the number of years a foreigner must reside in Italy before applying for citizenship from ten to five, along with efforts to enhance labor rights.
The outcome has been perceived as a major win for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her administration, who had actively campaigned against the proposed changes. Chastising the reform, Meloni showcased indifference by not voting, despite being present at her local polling station. This initiative sparked nationwide discourse, mirroring contentious debates over citizenship and migration occurring in both Europe and the United States. Current Italian law dictates that even children born in the country of legal immigrants must wait until they reach 18 to apply for citizenship, and even then, they must have resided in Italy continuously since birth.
Advocates for the referendum, including labor unions and left-leaning political factions, expressed dismay over the disinterest from the electorate, which coincided with the post-school closure summer period in many areas. Historical voting patterns reveal that since 1990, only three out of 14 similar referendums achieved enough participation to be considered valid. According to Fioralba Duma, a representative from the advocacy group Italians Without Citizenship, the low turnout was anticipated, yet she emphasized the referendum’s role in amplifying the critical discussion surrounding the integration of foreigners into Italian society.
Though the referendum did not pass, preliminary counts indicate that approximately 64% of those who voted supported the proposal for reduced residency requirements for citizenship. Duma and other activists view this momentary setback as a continuation rallying point, vowing to persist in their efforts towards citizenship reform and working on issues that affect numerous immigrants striving for rightful inclusion in Italian civic life.
The outcome has been perceived as a major win for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her administration, who had actively campaigned against the proposed changes. Chastising the reform, Meloni showcased indifference by not voting, despite being present at her local polling station. This initiative sparked nationwide discourse, mirroring contentious debates over citizenship and migration occurring in both Europe and the United States. Current Italian law dictates that even children born in the country of legal immigrants must wait until they reach 18 to apply for citizenship, and even then, they must have resided in Italy continuously since birth.
Advocates for the referendum, including labor unions and left-leaning political factions, expressed dismay over the disinterest from the electorate, which coincided with the post-school closure summer period in many areas. Historical voting patterns reveal that since 1990, only three out of 14 similar referendums achieved enough participation to be considered valid. According to Fioralba Duma, a representative from the advocacy group Italians Without Citizenship, the low turnout was anticipated, yet she emphasized the referendum’s role in amplifying the critical discussion surrounding the integration of foreigners into Italian society.
Though the referendum did not pass, preliminary counts indicate that approximately 64% of those who voted supported the proposal for reduced residency requirements for citizenship. Duma and other activists view this momentary setback as a continuation rallying point, vowing to persist in their efforts towards citizenship reform and working on issues that affect numerous immigrants striving for rightful inclusion in Italian civic life.
