ROME — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suffered a defeat in the Chamber of Deputies on Monday when lawmakers rejected a proposed amendment to the electoral reform by a single vote, 188 to 187. The amendment, backed by Meloni's Fratelli d'Italia and its coalition partners, sought to introduce voter preference choices and eliminate closed candidate lists.
Ahead of the vote, Meloni had publicly challenged opposition parties to forgo a secret ballot. The secret vote proceeded nonetheless, and defectors from within the ruling coalition were blamed for the loss, despite pledges of support from coalition partners Forza Italia and Lega.
Reacting to the result, Meloni said: 'We tried. The swamp has won once again.' The setback follows her earlier failure in a spring 2026 referendum on judicial reform. Meloni, who has governed since autumn 2022, faces expected elections next year.