By Angelo Amante ROME, March 31 (Reuters) - Italy's centre-left opposition warned Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni against pressing ahead with a reform of the electoral law that studies say could bolster
Italian Opposition Warns Meloni Over Planned Electoral Reform Amid Tensions
Electoral Reform Sparks Political Tensions in Italy
By Angelo Amante
ROME, March 31 (Reuters) - Italy's centre-left opposition warned Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni against pressing ahead with a reform of the electoral law that studies say could bolster her chances of re-election, cautioning on Tuesday that pushing it through parliament without consultation would amount to a show of force.
Government Push for Electoral Reform
A lower house committee was due to begin discussing the plan later in the day, a week after a bruising government defeat in a referendum on the justice system that sent shockwaves through the coalition and led to the resignation of three officials.
The proposal by the right-wing ruling parties - Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, the League and Forza Italia - would install full proportional representation and offer a guaranteed majority for any coalition winning more than 40% of the vote.
Studies released last month said the suggested overhaul could boost Meloni's chances of victory at a national election scheduled for next year.
Opposition's Response to the Reform
Simona Bonafe, a lawmaker with the main opposition Democratic Party (PD), said Meloni had not learned the lesson of the referendum, which struck down a reform that had been first approved in parliament without any input from the opposition.
"This (electoral law) is an area where neither coercion nor top-down measures are acceptable," she said.
Coalitions Seen Neck-and-Neck
COALITIONS SEEN NECK-AND-NECK
Most lawmakers are currently chosen by pure proportional representation via party lists, but 36% of them are elected in first-past-the-post constituencies.
Concerns Over Political Stability
Critics say the existing law risks producing unstable majorities or hung parliaments, a scenario seen as increasingly likely at the next election, with right- and left-wing blocs broadly neck-and-neck in opinion polls.
Potential for Negotiation
Two coalition sources said they were confident the PD - which aims to present a united front with the 5-Star Movement and the Green-Left Alliance - would eventually negotiate, given its interest in ensuring stable government should it win.
Government's Priorities Questioned
However, another coalition official said the debate risked making the government appear more focused on clinging to power than addressing inflation and soaring fuel prices stemming from the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
A second official said Meloni hoped to approve the reform in the lower house by the end of the summer. It would then require Senate approval to become law.
Parliamentary Proceedings and Reactions
The lower house committee was due to meet at around 8 p.m. (1800 GMT), a start time that surprised many lawmakers as it clashes with a decisive soccer World Cup qualifier against Bosnia.
"We'll just formally get it on the agenda," said lawmaker Alessandro Colucci, confident the meeting would be brief.
(Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Alex Richardson)
