Italian lawmakers approved a new electoral law on Thursday designed to award a significant seat bonus in Parliament to the winning party or coalition. The law, backed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, grants the winning alliance an additional 70 seats in the lower house and 35 in the Senate, provided it secures at least 42 percent of the vote in both chambers. Italy’s Parliament comprises 600 seats, split between 400 in the lower house and 200 in the Senate.

Supporters argue the legislation, nicknamed “Stabilicum,” aims to foster governmental stability in a country historically prone to frequent cabinet collapses. Italy has experienced 68 governments since becoming a republic in 1946, with the shortest lasting just 22 days. Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy party, recently reached a record as head of the longest-lasting government since her election in September 2022, now serving the final year of her five-year term. Andrea Di Giuseppe, a party member, described the law as a means to build credibility and provide economic and diplomatic certainty.

Opposition figures and critics, however, have strongly condemned the law, calling it unconstitutional and undemocratic. They argue that the bonus seats will sizeably amplify the winning coalition’s power, diminishing the role of negotiation among lawmakers and upsetting the balance between legislative and executive branches. Some compare the law to electoral measures from Italy’s fascist era, warning it could undermine democratic processes by concentrating authority over key appointments, such as judges and the president.

Constitutional experts including Gianluca Passarelli of Sapienza University criticized the law as a “Frankenstein” measure without equivalents in other democracies. Passarelli contends the reform generates “institutional tension” by weakening Parliament and granting disproportionate power to the executive. Left-leaning commentator Massimo Giannini likened the law to the 1923 legislation used by Benito Mussolini’s National Fascist Party to obtain control of Parliament.

The legislation also requires coalitions to declare their prime ministerial candidate before elections, a change that supporters say brings transparency. However, critics argue this conflicts with Italy’s constitutional norms, which assign the president—elected by Parliament—the authority to select the prime minister. The law reintroduces voter preference selection for candidates within party lists, but detractors contend that party leaderships maintain control over candidate rankings, limiting meaningful voter influence. Observers have additionally raised concerns that the law could exacerbate gender imbalances in Parliament, as most lead candidates tend to be men.

The secret-ballot vote revealed tensions within Meloni’s center-right coalition, with some uncertainty whether the 42 percent threshold for the bonus would be met. Salvatore Vassallo, director of the Istituto Carlo Cattaneo research foundation, noted competition on the right flank from Roberto Vannacci’s National Future party, which appeals to hard-right voters. Vassallo acknowledged that both coalitions have viable chances of winning and described the majority bonus as advantageous for any alliance seeking a stable governing majority without extensive compromises.

Opponents have pledged to challenge the law before Italy’s Constitutional Court, while public debates and protests continue over its implications for Italy’s democratic framework. The new electoral system represents yet another attempt in decades of reform efforts aimed at ensuring political stability in a nation long marked by fragmented and short-lived governments.