Chamber definitively approves the electoral reform

The Chamber of Deputies has given final approval to the electoral law reform, known as the 'Melonellum,' with 227 votes in favor and 164 against. The measure, already amended by the Senate, thus becomes law.

The new legislation introduces a majority bonus that awards 70 additional seats in the Chamber and 35 in the Senate to the list or coalition that surpasses a certain vote threshold, ensuring a solid parliamentary majority. The return of preference voting is also confirmed: voters will be able to indicate up to three candidates on lists of six, with the top candidate locked in.

The approved text also redesigns overseas constituencies and increases the number of signatures required for parties not represented in Parliament to participate in elections.

The electoral reform, nicknamed 'Melonellum' by the press, is the result of a long and complex parliamentary process initiated by the center-right majority. The declared goal was to create a system that would ensure governability through a majority bonus, avoiding parliamentary fragmentation.

The path was bumpy. The original text set the threshold for the bonus at 40%, later raised to 42% following constitutional concerns. In the Senate, crucial issues emerged: the definitive threshold (41% or 42%), the 'anti-bush' rule to exclude minor lists, and the possibility of a runoff proposed by former Senate President Marcello Pera, which was later shelved. The Quirinal exerted pressure to eliminate rules considered too favorable to the center-right.

The key passage occurred in July, when an amendment to reintroduce preference voting was rejected in the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate later reintroduced it, along with the blocked lead candidate mechanism. After these changes, the text returned to the Chamber for the final vote, also overcoming the risk of a secret ballot that had already created difficulties for the majority.