Italy’s Meloni narrowly loses justice referendum, exit polls indicate

Monday 23 March 2026 - 15:45

Exit polls on Monday indicated that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni narrowly lost a national referendum on her proposed judicial reforms, potentially marking a significant setback for the ruling coalition ahead of next year’s general election.

According to surveys conducted by Opinio for state broadcaster RAI and SWG for La7 TV, the opposition-backed “No” camp secured between 49% and 53% of the vote, while the government-supported “Yes” campaign received between 47% and 51%. YouTrend pollsters reported 51.5% for “No” against 48.5% for “Yes.”

Voter turnout was approximately 60%, surpassing expectations and reflecting the intensity of the campaign, which exposed deep divisions between the right-wing government and the Italian judiciary. Analysts suggest that a defeat could alter Meloni’s image as a consistent winner and may provide momentum for the centre-left opposition to build alliances ahead of the next national elections.