ROME: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition on Wednesday vowed to press ahead with a new election law, a day after a bruising parliamentary defeat on a key aspect of the reform. In a secret ballot on Tuesday, a proposal championed by Meloni's Brothers of Italy to allow electors to express preference votes for candidates on party lists was defeated by a single vote, partly due to ruling coalition defections.
The loss, which triggered opposition calls for Meloni to resign, has highlighted strains within the coalition before a general election due next year. It represents another major blow for the prime minister after a stinging defeat at a referendum on a justice reform in March. "It is crucial to go ahead with this law that guarantees stability," Enrico Costa, Forza Italia's lower house leader, told Corriere della Sera newspaper, ruling out the possibility that the setback could trigger a wider political crisis.
The ruling bloc, comprising Brothers of Italy, the League and Forza Italia, has proposed a fully proportional system with a seat bonus guaranteeing a majority to any coalition winning more than 42 per cent of the vote. — Reuters
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