Meloni warns: "Inevitable consequences" if the majority loses on the electoral law

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a clear warning to ministers during the Council of Ministers meeting on September 24, just after the confidence vote on the electoral law reform was approved. According to reports, Meloni urged them to "ensure the presence of everyone, parliamentarians and ministers," describing any potential mishap in the Chamber as "a carelessness" that would have "inevitable consequences."

The reference is to the final vote awaiting the majority in two weeks. The Prime Minister recalled the "parliamentary ambush on preferences in July," hinting that another failure could lead to the government's resignation and early elections. The reminder was addressed both to the ministers present and to party leaders, with Matteo Salvini in the chamber and Antonio Tajani absent because he is in New York for the UN Assembly.

The reform of the electoral law is a crucial issue for the current government, which has been discussing it in Parliament for months. The current law, the so-called "Rosatellum," was approved in 2017 and regulates the election of parliamentarians with a mixed system, partly majoritarian and partly proportional. The Meloni government has proposed changes that, according to the opposition, could alter the representational balance.

The legislative process has been bumpy. In July, the majority suffered a setback in Parliament on amendments concerning the preference system, when some government parliamentarians voted with the opposition. This episode, defined by Meloni as "carelessness," created tensions within the coalition. Now, with the final vote in the Chamber of Deputies expected in two weeks, the Prime Minister fears another slip-up that could undermine the stability of the executive, paving the way for a government crisis and early elections.