Electoral law, first vote passed: compact majority rejects preliminary objections.

The electoral law reform has cleared its first parliamentary hurdle. The Chamber of Deputies, in a secret ballot, rejected the five constitutional objections raised by the opposition with 229 votes against.

The center-right demonstrated unity, with only 7 out of 233 deputies absent. These votes were joined by those of Futuro Nazionale, which called the objections "ridiculous." The opposition, including Azione, voted in favor of the legitimacy questions, criticizing the method and timing of the reform.

Attention now shifts to October 8, the date of the final secret vote on the text. The government will call a confidence vote on the first three articles amended by the Senate, while the opposition announces a battle both in the Chamber and "in the squares," invoking the spirit of the March referendum.

The electoral reform under discussion stems from the desire of the center-right majority to change the voting system before the natural end of the legislature, expected within a year. The origin of the debate dates back to the referendum last March, when Italians voted on constitutional amendments, creating a political clash that is now resurfacing over the electoral law.

The proposed legislation envisions a proportional system with a 3% threshold for parties and 10% for coalitions, a majority bonus of 70 deputies and 35 senators for those exceeding 42% of the votes, blocked list leaders, and up to three preference votes. The main players are the Meloni government, which has "locked in" the process with a confidence vote and threats to veto the candidacies of dissidents, and the opposition parties united in their opposition.

The situation has reached this point after the bill passed in the Senate, where it was approved with 113 yes votes. If the law is passed, the legislature will continue until spring; if it is rejected, the possibility of early elections would open. The opposition parties have announced they will appeal to the Constitutional Court the day after any potential approval.