Italy’s Citizenship Referendum Fails to Meet Threshold

(MENAFN) Italy's referendum, which sought to simplify the process for foreigners to gain citizenship, did not meet the required voter turnout and garnered much less support compared to other referendums on the same ballot.

Early results, made public on Monday, suggest a clear political message on immigration.

Initial outcomes from approximately 50,000 polling stations on Sunday and Monday reveal that just over 60 percent of voters backed the proposal to reduce the residency requirement for foreigners to acquire Italian citizenship from 10 years to five.

This figure was reported by a news agency. However, it was more than 20 percentage points lower than the 88 percent approval rate for the four referendums concerning labor laws.

The citizenship referendum faced notable opposition, particularly in certain regions of Italy.

In major cities such as Milan, Turin, and Naples, the "Yes" vote exceeded 70 percent.

Conversely, areas like the valleys of South Tyrol saw a substantial majority voting "No" against the proposal.

Despite support in some urban areas, the overall voter participation failed to meet the necessary quorum, rendering the referendum invalid.

Even before the results were finalized, leaders from the right-wing camp declared a political triumph, interpreting the low turnout and regional resistance as a rejection of the citizenship reform.

"The left has been defeated. Citizenship is not a gift," said Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party, in a statement on Monday.

The preliminary turnout, according to an Italian news outlet, stood at 30.5 percent.

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