Italians began voting on Sunday in a referendum that could have major consequences for the country’s political and judicial landscape, as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni seeks public approval for a contested reform of the justice system.
The vote centres on constitutional changes that would separate the career paths of judges and public prosecutors and divide Italy’s judicial self-governing body into two distinct entities. The issue has long been one of the most divisive in Italian public life, touching directly on questions of judicial independence, political influence, and institutional reform.
Polling stations opened on Sunday and will remain open until 3 p.m. on Monday. The result is being closely watched not only for its legal significance, but also for what it may reveal about the strength of Meloni’s right-wing coalition ahead of a general election expected next year.
The referendum follows a tense and highly polarised campaign. Meloni and her allies have urged voters to support the reform, presenting it as a necessary correction to a judicial system that they argue has become opaque and overly politicised. The opposition, led by the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement, has campaigned for a “no” vote, warning that the proposed changes could weaken the independence of the judiciary and open the way to greater political pressure on magistrates.
At the heart of the reform is the proposal to separate the professional tracks of judges and prosecutors. Under the current Italian system, both belong to the same judicial order, although they perform different functions. Supporters of reform argue that a clearer institutional distinction would bring greater balance and transparency, and would better reflect the different roles played in court proceedings. Critics say such a separation risks altering the constitutional equilibrium and could make prosecutors more vulnerable to political control.
A second central element of the reform concerns the High Council of the Judiciary, known by its Italian initials CSM, which oversees appointments, transfers and disciplinary matters involving magistrates. The government wants to split the body into two separate councils, one for judges and one for prosecutors. Ministers say this would reduce internal factionalism and help address longstanding concerns about how key appointments are decided.
The reform debate has been sharpened by earlier scandals involving allegations of informal deals and influence over senior prosecutorial appointments. Meloni’s government has argued that these episodes exposed structural weaknesses in the current system and demonstrated the need for change. For the prime minister, the referendum is also an opportunity to show that her coalition is capable of delivering institutional reform after years in which successive governments struggled to alter the justice system in any lasting way.
Opponents reject that argument and say the government is using the language of reform to pursue a political objective. According to centre-left parties, the proposed changes would reduce constitutional safeguards and could eventually enable a governing majority to exert more influence over prosecutors. In their view, the referendum is not simply about technical legal changes, but about preserving the independence of one of the state’s core institutions.
The result may also have wider political implications. A victory for the “yes” camp would strengthen Meloni at a difficult moment in her premiership. Her government is dealing with the consequences of the Iran war as well as continued economic weakness at home. A successful referendum would allow her to claim a clear public mandate on a major institutional issue and could reinforce her authority within the governing coalition as the election approaches.
Conversely, a defeat would give fresh momentum to the fragmented centre-left opposition, which remains behind Meloni’s bloc in national opinion polling but is trying to build a broader alliance capable of mounting a more effective challenge. A “no” result would be seen as evidence that the government can still be checked on contentious reforms and that opposition parties are capable of mobilising voters on constitutional questions.
Polls published before the two-week blackout period suggested a very close race. Surveys indicated that the two camps were effectively level, with uncertainty over turnout likely to play a decisive role. Some observers suggested that Meloni’s supporters appeared less engaged on what many voters regard as a complex and highly technical issue, raising the possibility that lower participation on the right could affect the final outcome.
Whatever the result, the referendum marks an important moment in Italy’s debate over how justice should function and how far politics should shape the institutions meant to remain independent from it. For Meloni, it is both a legal and political test. For the opposition, it is a chance to challenge the government on one of the most sensitive constitutional questions of her term.
