The Chamber of Deputies has passed the anti-deadlock electoral law. Meloni has made up her mind: she wants Schlein as her opponent

With 217 votes in favour and 152 against, the Chamber of Deputies has approved the electoral law at first reading. And so, following the defeat of the amendment on preferential votes, the majority ultimately secured approval for the bill as a whole, despite the fact that, as with the amendments, the vote was held by secret ballot.

Among those registered to speak during the explanations of vote were all the opposition leaders, from the secretary of the Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, to the president of the Five Star Movement, Giuseppe Conte, and Nicola Fratoianni of the Green-Left Alliance, with the exception of the League and Forza Italia, who entrusted the official statement of their group’s position to those whom the "Melonellum" had put forward in committee: FI’s Chair of the Constitutional Affairs Committee, Nazario Pagano, and Lega MP Andrea Barabotti. Noi Moderati made the same choice: Alessandro Colucci was registered to speak. For Fratelli d’Italia, it was Giovanni Donzelli, the party’s head of organisation, who yesterday, again in the Chamber, returned to the amendment on preferences tabled by FdI, Nm and Udc, and which was rejected by a single vote, thanks to around fifty rebels scattered amongst Fratelli d’Italia and the other two coalition parties, Carrocio and Forza Italia: “Parliament is sovereign, always and in all circumstances. There is certainly someone, even from the centre-right, who secretly decided not to follow the voting instructions. I would like to see MPs always stand by their decisions.”

In his speech, Giovanni Donzelli reiterated that with this law “we will not return to a majority that is less stable than the couples on Temptation Island; a weak Parliament leads to a weak democracy. A law that enables a strong Parliament is a law of democracy”. He then addressed the opposition, saying that “in the game of intrigue, you’ve scored a point; you were right to celebrate your response. It would have been traumatic to face the Italian people who work every day. You’ll manage to get elected via closed lists and make a mockery of Italians yet again”. Fratelli d’Italia, she continued, “would even have voted for your amendments; you cowardly withdrew them, betraying the Italian people yet again,” she added, whilst also defending the proposed reform, which, she said, “for the first time guarantees the opposition a minimum threshold”. At the end of her speech, there were moments of tension with the opposition, who held up placards reading: “Meloni has failed” and “the majority no longer exists. Go home.”

“What hypocrisy today from those who passed a vote of no confidence in Giorgia Meloni in a secret ballot two days ago” on party preferences, “who has betrayed her? This has been the Prime Minister’s sole obsession for the past couple of days; she cannot sleep at night. ‘You have been voted out of office.’ These were the words of Elly Schlein, MP and secretary of the Democratic Party, in the Chamber of Deputies during her final voting statement. “Meloni has also betrayed her allies in her pursuit of Vannacci,” she reiterated, referring to FdI’s vote in favour of the amendment tabled by Fn MPs: “There is no longer a majority; it’s a sieve. Take note of this and draw the necessary conclusions for the country. This electoral law is inadmissible and cannot be amended, and raises serious concerns regarding its constitutionality.”

In his speech, Giuseppe Conte emphasised his party’s opposition to the bill and, addressing the majority, said: “This law is designed to keep you firmly in your seats and to give even more power to the leader. It is a fraudulent law, and the agreement you have reached within the majority is deceitful because Italians have no power to choose their own representatives. It is designed to shift from stability to irremovability.” He also attacked once again the rejected amendment on preferential voting, saying it was “an amendment whereby, if all went well, perhaps 5 per cent of candidates might be elected, but from pre-printed forms in party offices”, emphasising that the “glass ceiling” of gender equality “is not being broken down, but cemented in place with reinforced concrete”.

In his explanation of vote on the electoral law, Edoardo Ziello, MP for Futuro Nazionale, announced that the Vannacciani – who had voted in favour of the majority amendment on preferential votes, complete with video footage – would have voted against a law containing "disgusting electoral ploys" and relying on "half-baked amendments designed to make a mockery of Italians" regarding preferential votes. However, he then expressed the hope that “Meloni in the Senate might persuade her allies to reintroduce preferential voting; if so, we’ll be more than willing to vote in favour at the third reading in the Chamber of Deputies”, referring to the possibility raised by some members of the majority, such as Senate President Ignazio La Russa, the Minister for European Affairs, Tommaso Foti, and the League’s Senate group leader, Massimiliano Romeo: to resubmit the same amendment on preferential votes to the Senate as well, where there is no provision for a secret ballot, unlike under the Chamber of Deputies’ rules of procedure.