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Italy's Meloni faces risky choices after referendum defeat shakes government

The resounding loss has left the Italian leader with her authority weakened, her reform program in tatters and no easy way to regain the initiative.

By The Japan Times

• March 25, 2026 at 3:54 AM

Italy's Meloni faces risky choices after referendum defeat shakes government Photo: The Japan Times

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition suffered a resounding loss in the March 22-23 vote on justice reform
By Crispian Balmer and Angelo Amante
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ROME –
Giorgia Meloni's defeat in a justice reform referendum has thrust the Italian leader into the toughest phase of her premiership, with her authority weakened, her reform program in tatters and no easy way to regain the initiative.The prime minister's right-wing coalition suffered a resounding loss in the March 22-23 vote, puncturing the aura of political invincibility she has cultivated since taking office in 2022.As the result came in, Meloni made clear she had no plans to resign, but none of her options look attractive, political analysts say.

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