Reuters
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Italians began voting on Sunday in a referendum to approve controversial judicial reforms proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. This will be an important test for the right-wing coalition ahead of next year’s general election.
Voters will have to decide whether to support constitutional amendments to separate the career paths of judges and prosecutors, an issue that has long confounded domestic politics, and to split Italy’s judicial autonomy into two separate bodies.
The vote came after a heated campaign pitting Meloni’s “Yes” camp against the centre-left opposition, which backed “No”. Voting ends Monday at 3pm (10am ET).
Opposition parties led by the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement warned that the reforms would undermine judicial independence and leave room for political interference, which they said could strengthen Meloni’s grip on power.
The government rejects the criticism, insisting that reforms are needed to rein in politicized elections to the autonomous government’s High Council of Justice (CSM) after a scandal exposed backroom deals over senior prosecutor appointments.
Analysts say a Yes vote is likely to give Meloni a major boost as he grapples with the fallout from the Iran war and economic stagnation in the final days of his term.
A victory for the centre-left, which remains behind Meloni’s camp in opinion polls, would intensify efforts to build a coalition against the prime minister.
Opinion polls published before the voting suspension took effect two weeks ago showed both sides tied, with Meloni supporters appearing relatively indifferent to what is a very complex issue and some suggesting they may stay home.
