Italy's proposed bonus-seat electoral system could give Meloni comfortable win, studies show
The Straits Times
ROME, Feb 27 - A proposed overhaul of Italy's voting system could boost Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's re-election chances next year, studies showed on Friday, suggesting even a small lead over the opposition would be enough to give her a comfortable win. Read more at straitstimes.com.
ROME, Feb 27 - A proposed overhaul of Italy's voting system could boost Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's re-election chances next year, studies showed on Friday, suggesting even a small lead over the opposition would be enough to give her a comfortable win.
This week, the ruling centre-right parties struck a deal to reform the electoral rules, switching to a fully proportional system including a seat bonus designed to give a stable majority to any coalition that wins more than 40% of the vote. The reform still needs parliament's approval.
A simulation by polling firm YouTrend showed that under Italy's current system - mostly proportional, with 36% of lawmakers elected in first-past-the-post constituencies - neither bloc would secure a parliamentary majority. A purely proportional system would instead grant 57% of seats in the two houses of parliament to Meloni's Brothers of Italy party and its allies, the League and Forza Italia.
"The seat bonus would go entirely to the centre-right as the most-voted-for coalition, turning a lead of just a few percentage points in the polls into a solid parliamentary majority," YouTrend said.
The winning bloc would receive a 70-seat bonus in the 400-seat lower house and a 35-seat bonus in the 200-seat Senate but this would be capped at 60% of the total seats "to safeguard the opposition", a coalition statement said.
The main opposition Democratic Party accused the government of distorting the system to maximise its chances of staying in power, while right-wing groups say they only want to ensure a stable government after the 2027 vote.
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