Opposition leaders immediately saw the defeat as evidence that Meloni had lost control of her majority
Giorgia Meloni has suffered one of her biggest political setbacks after MPs from her own governing coalition helped derail her flagship electoral reform, exposing cracks in her majority.
The government was defeated by a single vote in a secret ballot on Wednesday, after several parliamentarians from Meloni’s ruling alliance withheld their support for an amendment considered crucial to the reform, jeopardising the entire package.
The defeat marks the prime minister’s second major political blow in just a few months, following the failure of the referendum she had heavily backed in March, and adds to a string of domestic and international headaches.
The loss is particularly painful because electoral reform had become one of Meloni’s defining political priorities, a key part of the reforms she has championed since taking office.
