Italian Parliament Advances Controversial Electoral Reform Bill

On June 24, the Chamber of Deputies' Constitutional Affairs Committee approved the governing coalition’s new electoral reform, dubbed “Bignami Bis.” The proposal combines a proportional system with a majority bonus awarded to any coalition that secures at least 42 % of the vote, granting it 70 seats in the Chamber and 35 in the Senate, with a maximum of 220 deputies and 113 senators overall. If no coalition reaches the threshold, a pure proportional allocation would apply, using the existing 10 % threshold for coalitions and 3 % for individual party lists.

The bill also retains the current closed‑list system, maintains current district boundaries, and keeps existing rules on dual candidacies. Political leaders remain divided: Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the governing parties (Fratelli d'Italia, Lega, FI) argue the proposal ensures governability, while opposition parties led by the PD warn it could slide toward a “masked presidentialism.” A technical meeting on June 30 failed to reconcile differences, particularly over voter preference mechanisms.

The reform is slated for debate in the full Chamber from July, with a constrained timetable for passage.