Italian Referendum on Citizenship Rules Falls Short of Validity

Despite the setback, activists vow to keep the conversation around citizenship alive.

A referendum aimed at easing foreign citizenship requirements in Italy concluded unsuccessfully as voter turnout plummeted. The polling, held on Sunday and Monday, saw only around 30 percent of eligible voters participating, falling significantly short of the necessary 50 percent threshold for the referendum to be deemed valid. Proposed changes included reducing the residency requirement for foreigners to apply for citizenship from ten years to five and enhancing labor rights.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a vocal opponent of the measure, expressed relief at the outcome, particularly as some of her coalition partners had urged abstention from voting. Intriguingly, Meloni visited her polling station but opted not to cast her vote.

The referendum garnered robust discussion about citizenship amid mounting debates on migration across Europe and the United States. Currently, even children born in Italy to legal immigrants face hurdles, often unable to apply for citizenship until they reach 18, contingent on continuous residence.

Support for the referendum came from a prominent trade union, civil society groups, and various center-left political factions, but failed to unite a broad coalition, contributing to its low turnout—coinciding with the first weekend following public school closures in much of Italy. Historical data reveals a troubling trend, with only three out of 14 referendums since 1990 achieving the requisite voter engagement to be valid.

Activist Fioralba Duma remarked on the disappointment within the community supporting the initiative, stating, "We’ve been let down by Italy before." However, she emphasized the referendum had succeeded in bringing citizenship discourse to the forefront, highlighting the experiences of migrants striving for integration in Italian society. Preliminary counting indicated that around 64 percent of those who cast votes were in favor of the reduced residency requirement. While the result was disheartening, activists expressed a commitment to continue advocating for reform, declaring, “We will continue to work.”