Italy's ruling coalition has suffered a stunning parliamentary defeat in the Chamber of Deputies. In a high-stakes secret ballot, the assembly rejected a crucial amendment to the proposed electoral law by a margin of just one vote (188 votes against to 187 in favor). The amendment, put forward by Fratelli d'Italia, Noi Moderati, and the Udc, would have allowed voters to cast up to three preferences while retaining blocked head-of-list candidates.
The defeat immediately sparked a bitter war of words. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took to social media to express her frustration, writing, "The swamp has won again," and criticizing opposition lawmakers for celebrating the result as if they had won a sports championship. In contrast, Elly Schlein, leader of the center-left Democratic Party (PD), hailed the outcome as a victory against political arrogance. Schlein argued that the government's grip on power had shattered and called on the coalition to "go home."
Following the vote, opposition parties (including PD, M5S, and +Europa) strategically withdrew nearly all of their own pending amendments to avoid participating in what they described as a "farce," preserving only proposals concerning off-site voters and citizens living abroad.
While Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani sought to downplay the loss as a minor "speed bump" that does not affect the government's broader stability, Senate President Ignazio La Russa reminded the coalition that the Upper House retains the power to reverse the decision. Crucially, Senate regulations do not permit secret ballots on this specific issue, which would force lawmakers to vote openly. The broader reform, which must now be partially redrafted, aims to establish a proportional voting system with a guaranteed majority bonus for any coalition securing at least 42% of the national vote.