A low turnout of around 30% in Italy’s recent citizenship referendum has led the poll to be declared invalid, despite a campaign by civil society groups and trade unions for a “Yes” vote. The ballot featured five questions covering different issues, including a proposal to halve the length of time an individual has to live in Italy before applying for citizenship from 10 to five years.
The referendum’s low turnout is attributed to the Italian government’s lack of engagement with the issue and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s decision to boycott the vote. Activists argue that reducing the waiting period for citizenship would bring Italy in line with many European neighbours, but their efforts were hindered by the low voter turnout.
This is not an isolated incident, as only about half of Italy’s referendums since World War Two have attracted enough votes to make them binding. The government has now called for a review of the threshold required for a referendum to be held, amid speculation that it may increase in an effort to reduce the number of “wasted” votes.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crr7vg1zdklo