Italian centre-right reaches new electoral law agreement

After a two‑hour meeting at the Fratelli d'Italia headquarters in Rome, the three parties of the governing centre‑right coalition – Fratelli d'Italia, Lega and Forza Italia – revived an agreement on the electoral law that had been rejected in the Chamber of Deputies in July. The revived text largely reproduces the previous proposal but adds a 60 %‑40 % gender alternation for party list leaders, extending the rule to the single‑member constituencies of Trentino‑Alto Adige. The double‑candidacy principle is retained, requiring a list leader who runs for the majority bonus to keep that role in multi‑member districts, with a fallback ordering if the seat is already occupied.

The agreement will be signed by all parties of the majority, including Lega and Forza Italia, to make it harder for future secret‑ballot maneuvers to overturn the text. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had urged parliamentarians to vote openly, saw the secret‑ballot tactic rejected by the opposition, prompting the renewed negotiation. Critics argue the deal merely confirms a prior deadlock rather than delivering a substantive breakthrough.