Italy's Meloni faces risky choices after referendum defeat shakes government

ROME, March 24 - Giorgia Meloni's defeat in a justice reform referendum has thrust the Italian leader into the toughest phase of her premiership, with her authority weakened, her reform programme in tatters and no easy way to regain the initiative. Read more at straitstimes.com.

ROME, March 24 - Giorgia Meloni's defeat in a justice reform referendum has thrust the Italian leader into the toughest phase of her premiership, with her authority weakened, her reform programme in tatters and no easy way to regain the initiative.

The prime minister's right-wing coalition suffered a resounding loss in the March 22-23 vote, puncturing the aura of political invincibility she has cultivated since taking office in 2022.

As the result came in, Meloni made clear she had no plans to resign, but none of her options looks attractive, political analysts say.

Governing as if nothing has changed risks leaving her a lame-duck prime minister, with the anaemic economy under growing strain and her closeness to U.S. President Donald Trump seen by pollsters as an increasing liability.

Alternatively, she could seek to reshape the electoral law to try to boost her chances of winning the next general election, due in 2027, but would open herself to charges of upending the rules to suit her political interests.

A third option could be to gamble on forcing an early ballot this spring before the full impact of the Iran war hits Italy's already fragile economy, hoping to catch the fragmented centre-left opposition unprepared.