Italian voters are being called to the polls on Sunday, 8 June, and Monday, 9 June, to decide the fate of five key abrogative referenda concerning labour laws and citizenship requirements. These votes coincide with local elections across multiple regions and municipalities in Italy.
Abrogative referenda are designed to either uphold or repeal existing laws or decrees. For any result to be binding, voter turnout must exceed 50% plus one of all eligible voters.
The referenda stem from initiatives by trade unions and civic groups, targeting policies that have stirred political contention in recent years. Four of the five questions deal with labour-related issues, including better protections for workers, obligations of small businesses, rules around fixed-term contracts, and employer liability in subcontracting and workplace safety. The fifth question proposes halving the residency requirement for Italian citizenship from 10 years to 5.
Government-aligned parties have opposed the referenda, with some officials encouraging abstention in an apparent effort to prevent reaching the necessary quorum. Analysts view the vote as a gauge of support for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration.
According to the advocacy group International Democracy Community, the referenda represent a grassroots movement: “The referendum questions were proposed through a bottom-up approach, and did not come from Parliament. Members of the Europa+ party launched the initiative on the citizenship question, whilst the Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) has been the initiator of the Jobs Act ones, with support from the Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, and the Green & Left Alliance.”
Polling stations are open from 07:00 to 23:00 on Sunday and from 07:00 to 15:00 on Monday. However, early turnout numbers have raised concerns about participation. By 12 noon on Sunday, turnout had reached just over 7%, significantly below the 11.6% recorded at the same time during the last successful quorum-reaching referendum in 2011.
