Italy's parliament on Tuesday rejected a key aspect of voting rules reforms sponsored by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party, dealing her a significant setback ahead of general elections due next year.
* The lower house is debating an electoral reform that would introduce a fully proportional voting system with a seat bonus for the winning coalition.
* In a secret ballot, lawmakers rejected a proposal by Meloni's Brothers of Italy party to reintroduce preference voting for candidates on party lists.
* Meloni's main coalition partners, the League and Forza Italia, had said they would support the measure, but it was defeated by 188 votes to 187, indicating that part of the ruling majority defected.
* The missing votes from the majority "call for a reflection," Meloni said on Facebook, calling the parliamentary setback "a missed opportunity for Italians. But it was worth a try."
* Centre-left opposition parties hailed the result and said it showed Meloni no longer had full control of her parliamentary majority, and called on her to resign.
* The opposition had accused Meloni of trying to rewrite the electoral rules in her favour, in a bid to retain power at the 2027 general elections.
