A two-day referendum will begin in Italy on Sunday, in which citizens will decide on simplifying the procedure for obtaining citizenship and revising labour reform.
Opposition left-wing and centrist parties, civil society organisations and the leading trade union CGIL have used the issue of labour rights and the demographic crisis in Italy as a means of putting pressure on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition.
They collected more than 4.5 million signatures to hold the referendum, significantly more than the number required to initiate the vote. The referendum includes five questions: four on labour legislation and one on citizenship.
However, according to polls, it will be difficult for campaigners to convince more than 50% of voters to participate in the vote to make its results binding.
Meloni and key government ministers have already said they will not vote.
A poll by the Demopolis institute last month showed that the expected turnout would be 31-39% of Italy’s approximately 50 million voters, well below the required threshold.
The ballot will include a question on whether citizens support reducing the mandatory residence period for naturalisation from 10 to 5 years. According to the organisers, this could affect approximately 2.5 million foreigners.
Against the backdrop of a sharp decline in Italy’s birth rate, economists say the country needs to attract more foreigners to support its weak economy. Labour market issues aim to make it more difficult to dismiss workers and increase compensation for those laid off by small businesses, effectively reversing a reform adopted by the Democratic Party government ten years ago.
