A referendum aimed at making it easier for foreigners to apply for Italian citizenship and strengthening workers’ rights failed, as it failed to attract a majority of voters to the polls. Referendum turnout was 30.6%.

The four referendums fail: Abstentionism wins. The Italian referendum to loosen citizenship rules fails. Less than a third of those eligible to vote showed up at the polls for an election that would have made it easier for foreigners to acquire citizenship and strengthened workers’ rights. The overall voter turnout for the referendums remained well below the required quorum, resulting in their invalidation.  According to the first unofficial results the turnout for the referendum was 30.5%. Due to this turnout, although the ‘Yes’ votes on the five separate questions in the referendum won different majorities, the referendum was invalid because the 50 %+1 required for the referendum to be considered valid was not satisfied.

  Bologna confirms itself as the capital of participation. But not even under the Two Towers do any of the five abrogative referendums reach the quorum.

Signal on immigration

The referendum aimed at easing citizenship requirements for foreigners failed to meet voter turnout thresholds and received significantly less support than other referendums on the same ballot, marking a clear political signal on immigration, according to initial results released on Monday.

The centre-right is rejoicing, seeing itself strengthened by the election’s outcome. The result brought relief to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had openly opposed the referendum, which called for reducing the number of years of mandatory residence for a foreigner in Italy before applying for citizenship from 10 to 5. Some of her coalition partners had urged citizens to abstain from voting. Meloni went to her polling station on Sunday evening, but did not vote.

The right-wing leaders declared political victory, calling the low participation and regional opposition a rejection of the proposed citizenship reform. “The left has been defeated. Citizenship is not a gift,” Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party, said in a statement Monday.