Italy's Chamber of Deputies Passes Controversial Stabilicum Electoral Law

The Italian Chamber of Deputies approved a contested electoral reform on October 8, 2026, with a vote of 227 to 164. The law, nicknamed Stabilicum, replaces a hybrid first-past-the-post and proportional system with a fully proportional model that awards bonus seats to election winners to ensure governability.

Under the new rules, any coalition securing more than 42 percent of the vote is automatically granted a parliamentary majority, receiving an additional 70 seats in the lower house and 35 in the Senate. Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister who championed the measure, had previously threatened to resign if the law failed to pass. She stated the reform is designed to ensure political stability and cohesion within the center-right coalition.

The center-left opposition, led by the Democratic Party, condemned the move as a tailor-made effort to bolster the current government's re-election chances. Critics, who dubbed the law Melonellum, argue it distorts democratic rules and weakens Parliament. Opposition leaders have vowed to petition Italy's Constitutional Court for a review of the legislation.