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Italy’s Senate Approves Meloni-Backed Electoral Reform Amid Opposition Fury

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Italy’s Senate approved a controversial electoral reform on Tuesday, backed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s conservative coalition, despite strong opposition criticism. The proposed system would use fully proportional representation while granting a parliamentary majority to any alliance that wins more than 42% of the vote. The measure passed by 113 votes to 71 but still requires final approval from the lower house.

Meloni’s coalition says the reform would bring greater political stability to Italy, which has experienced frequent changes of government. Opposition leaders, however, accuse Meloni of changing the electoral rules to strengthen her chances in next year’s election. Under the current system, around one-third of lawmakers are elected through first-past-the-post constituencies, which analysts say could benefit centre-left parties.

The reform must now return to the Chamber of Deputies after amendments made in the Senate. The debate comes as tensions grow within both the governing coalition and the opposition. A previous attempt to restore preferential voting was narrowly rejected in the lower house, exposing divisions within Meloni’s alliance as the country approaches its next national election.

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Mussolini-Style Ads Targeting Meloni Trigger Political Storm in Italy

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A political advertising campaign in Italy comparing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to fascist dictator Benito Mussolini has sparked heated debate and drawn major attention online. The posters, displayed in train stations in cities including Rome and Milan, used typography and slogans inspired by 1930s fascist propaganda to criticize Meloni’s government over issues like train delays, inflation and youth migration.

One of the most controversial ads read, “When she was around, trains arrived late,” a twist on a phrase often used nostalgically by Mussolini supporters. The campaign was launched by the small opposition party Italia Viva, led by former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, as part of a fundraising effort. Some ads were later removed after railway advertising operators said they harmed the company’s image.

The campaign also reignited discussions about Meloni’s political roots, as her Brothers of Italy party traces its origins to a post-war movement founded by fascist veterans. While Italia Viva accused the government of censorship, Meloni denied involvement and even praised Renzi for the campaign idea. The controversy has boosted visibility for Italia Viva, which currently holds a small share in opinion polls.

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Italian outcry as MP Pozzolo’s gun wounds man at New Year’s Eve party

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A New Year’s Eve celebration turned into a political controversy when it was revealed that a man was lightly wounded by a gunshot fired from a gun owned by Italian far-right MP Emanuele Pozzolo, a member of Prime Minister Georgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party. Although Pozzolo admitted bringing the gun, he denied firing the shot, which injured a 31-year-old man in the leg.

The incident occurred in the small town of Rosazza in the northern Piedmont region, leading local prosecutors to launch an investigation. Pozzolo, 38, reportedly showed his .22 caliber mini-revolver, a weapon he has a license to own, to party guests. The gun was passed between guests and accidentally went off, hitting one person in the leg.

Andrea Delmastro, a party colleague and junior justice minister, claimed he was unaware of Pozzolo having a gun and had stepped outside when the shot was fired. The wounded man happened to be the son-in-law of a member of Delmastro’s security team.

Pozzolo invoked parliamentary immunity to avoid gunpowder residue tests on his clothes. Prime Minister Meloni’s party stated that the incident had no “political relevance” and emphasized that local authorities would investigate. Meloni has not yet responded to the incident.

Critics, including the centre-left opposition leader Elly Schlein, called for action, describing the individuals involved as “incompetents” and a danger to security. Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi criticized Brothers of Italy, calling them “inadequate, incompetent, and dangerous.”

Pozzolo, previously a member of Matteo Salvini’s League before joining Brothers of Italy, has been a vocal opponent of Covid-19 vaccines, labeling them “experimental,” and has opposed Italy’s “Green Pass” system requiring proof of immunization for access to certain venues.

In a separate incident, a 55-year-old woman was shot and killed at a New Year’s Eve celebration near Naples, with a man arrested in connection to the death.

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