Italy's lower house has given final approval to a sweeping overhaul of the country's electoral law, passing it by 227 votes to 164 in a secret ballot. The reform, championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, replaces the current hybrid system with a proportional model that awards bonus seats to the winning coalition. Opposition lawmakers held up signs reading "scam" and "fraudulent law" as the result was announced, and have vowed to challenge the law in the Constitutional Court.

Under the current rules, roughly a third of seats are filled by first-past-the-post contests in single-member districts and the rest by proportional representation. The new law abolishes the single-member districts. Any party or coalition that wins the most votes and exceeds 42% will receive 105 extra seats: 70 in the lower house and 35 in the Senate. Supporters say this can turn a narrow win into a workable majority. If no coalition reaches the threshold, seats would be allocated purely proportionally, which could produce a fragmented parliament. Coalitions must also name their candidate for prime minister and publish a joint programme before the vote, and the law brings back largely open candidate lists, though parties still choose the first name on each list.

Meloni, who leads the far-right Brothers of Italy, argues that the changes will foster stability in a country with a long history of short-lived governments. She had made the vote a test of her authority, reportedly warning allies that defeat could mean her resignation and early elections. A similar vote in July exposed divisions in her coalition, particularly over preference votes, and analysts say the threat was aimed largely at wavering partners. Analysts also noted that many lawmakers would lose pension eligibility if the legislature ended early. After the vote, Meloni said the coalition was "united, cohesive and determined".

Opposition leaders say the reform is designed to help the government. Elly Schlein of the centre-left Democratic Party said the right feared losing the next election, while Giuseppe Conte of the populist Five Star Movement called it a scheme devised solely to gain an advantage. Critics also object to the requirement to name a prime ministerial candidate in advance, since Italy's president traditionally appoints the head of government, and to a steep rise in the signatures needed for new parties to run. Constitutional questions also surround the nationwide allocation of bonus Senate seats, although the Constitution says the Senate is elected on a regional basis.

The outcome is not guaranteed to favour Meloni. Polls put her coalition near the 41% mark, close to the threshold, but the rise of Roberto Vannacci, a former general whose new far-right party Futuro Nazionale is polling around 8% outside her coalition, could draw votes away from it. The centre-left, if it unites and overcomes internal divisions, could also reach 42%. The next election is due by October 2027, though a vote in spring is being discussed.