Italy will go to the polls on 8–9 June in a series of referendums that could significantly alter the country’s laws on citizenship and employment. As Italians also prepare to vote in local elections, the call by senior government figures to abstain from these national referendums has sparked outrage and raised serious concerns about democratic engagement.
Among the five referendums on the ballot, the most high-profile, and most hotly debated, is the one proposing to ease Italy’s strict citizenship laws for non-EU residents. The vote is a pivotal moment for many long-term residents of Italy who, under current laws, face a decade-long wait before being eligible to apply for Italian citizenship. If passed, the referendum would halve this waiting period to five years and extend automatic citizenship rights to their children.
The proposal gained momentum after an online petition surpassed 500,000 signatures, forcing the issue onto the ballot. It reflects mounting public pressure to modernise a citizenship system widely seen as outdated and exclusionary. As reported previously by Italy News Online, recent changes to the citizenship process by descent have made acquiring Italian nationality more difficult, especially for those outside Europe. This June’s referendum could signal a shift in the opposite direction, towards greater inclusivity and recognition of long-term residents’ contributions to Italian society.
Political Resistance
Despite growing support for reform, Italy’s right-wing coalition government has voiced strong opposition to the referendums. Rather than campaigning directly against the measures, leading figures, including Senate President Ignazio La Russa, have urged voters to stay at home. This tactic is intended to block the referendums not by defeating them at the ballot box, but by preventing them from reaching the necessary turnout threshold.
For abrogative referendums to be valid in Italy, more than 50 per cent of eligible voters — over 25 million people — must cast a vote. It’s a high bar. Of the nine referendums held in the past three decades, only one exceeded the required turnout. That occurred in 2011, when Italians overwhelmingly rejected nuclear energy and water privatisation.
The government’s strategy is clear, if they can dissuade enough people from voting, the measures will fail by default.
But this approach has provoked fierce backlash from across the political spectrum. Critics argue that calls for abstention, especially by senior politicians in institutional roles, undermine Italy’s democratic principles. As voters are already heading to the polls for local elections, the encouragement to skip a national vote at the same time is not only contradictory but also deeply troubling.
Citizenship in Focus
The citizenship referendum is particularly significant for the hundreds of thousands of non-EU nationals legally residing in Italy many of whom work, pay taxes, and raise families within Italian society. Under the current 1992 law, these individuals must wait ten years before they can even apply for citizenship. Children born in Italy to non-Italian parents must wait until their 18th birthday to apply themselves, regardless of how integrated they are.
The proposed reform would reduce the residency requirement to five years and grant citizenship to the children of naturalised citizens. It represents a step toward recognising the reality of a more multicultural Italy and addressing legal inequalities that leave many long-term residents in limbo.
As Riccardo Magi, leader of the liberal +Europa party and one of the driving forces behind the referendum, has pointed out, many of these residents are law-abiding taxpayers with deep ties to Italy. “When we talk about citizenship, we are talking about regular people,” Magi said, accusing opponents of spreading fear by linking citizenship with crime and insecurity.
Labour Reforms on the Ballot
While the citizenship referendum has attracted the most attention, four other referendums could overhaul Italy’s labour laws, especially reforms introduced under Matteo Renzi’s government in 2016.
The proposed changes aim to:
- Reinstate stronger protections against unlawful dismissal;
- Remove the cap on compensation for unfair dismissal in small businesses;
- Reintroduce stricter regulation of fixed-term contracts;
- Increase employer accountability for workplace safety.
These proposals were spearheaded by the CGIL, Italy’s largest trade union, with support from the Partito Democratico (PD), Movimento 5 Stelle, and other left-wing parties.
CGIL leader Maurizio Landini has criticised the boycott calls, calling them a “serious political and institutional mistake.” He argues that abstaining undermines democratic participation and denies Italians the chance to vote on meaningful reforms. “People’s rights will be improved with this vote,” he said.
A Fight for Democracy
The government’s call for abstention goes beyond typical political opposition. Coming from institutional figures like Senate President La Russa and Deputy Premiers Salvini and Tajani, it risks setting a dangerous precedent. A democratic system relies on participation, especially when the tools of direct democracy such as referendums are at play.
By encouraging abstention, government leaders are not just opposing reform; they are actively working to deny the public a voice. At a time when voter apathy and political disengagement are already significant issues, such a strategy appears not only undemocratic but also irresponsible.
The civic duty to vote cannot be overstated especially when referendums concern fundamental questions of rights, fairness, and inclusion. Italy is not only deciding on policy in June. It is also deciding what kind of democracy it wants to be.
Polling stations will be open nationwide on Sunday 8 June from 07.00 to 23.00 and Monday 9 June from 07.00 to 15.00.
