Posted on 06/09/2025 3:42:02 PM PDT by BenLurkin
A referendum in Italy on easing citizenship rules and enhancing workers' rights has been declared invalid.
Around 30% of voters participated - well short of the 50% threshold required to make the vote binding - in the poll, which began on Sunday and ran until 15:00 (14:00 BST) on Monday.
The ballot featured five questions covering different issues, including a proposal to halve the length of time an individual has to live in Italy before they can apply for citizenship from 10 to five years.
The referendum was initiated by a citizens' initiative and supported by civil society groups and trade unions, all of whom campaigned for the Yes vote.
For them, the outcome - which saw turnout levels as low as 22% in regions like Sicily and Calabria - will come as a blow.
Reaching the 50% threshold was always going to be a struggle - not least because the Italian government, led by hard-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, largely ignored the referendum or actively discouraged people from voting.
"Whether just above 30% or just below 30%, this is a low figure, below the expectations and targets set by the promoters," Lorenzo Pregliasco...told Italy's SkyTG24.
Last week, Meloni announced she would boycott the vote, declaring Italy's existing citizenship law as "excellent" and "very open". She visited a polling station in Rome on Sunday but did not cast a vote.
But activists argued that a 10-year wait to apply for citizenship was far too long, and that reducing the requirement to five years would bring Italy in line with many of its European neighbours.
...Meloni's ... (FdI) party posted ...
"The only real objective of this referendum was to topple the Meloni government. In the end though Italians toppled you," the post read.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Perhaps we can adopt the 50% turnout rule. I like it.
Italy doesn’t need ‘cultural enrichment’. Preserve the character, culture, and history. It should be an effort to become a citizen there.
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