Italy’s March referendum on judicial reform tests Meloni’s mandate

The Italian cabinet has scheduled a nationwide referendum for March 22-23, 2026, on a contentious judicial reform that would enshrine a formal separation of career paths for judges and prosecutors. The vote converts a central pledge of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing coalition into a direct public test ahead of the next general election.

Parliament approved the overhaul in October, but because it amends the constitution the measures must be submitted to a popular vote. The ballot will ask Italians to approve new rules that require magistrates entering the profession to choose at the outset whether they will serve as judges or prosecutors, eliminating the current practice in which a single national exam admits candidates to a magistrature that permits career mobility between the two roles.

The package also restructures the self-governing council that oversees appointments and disciplinary matters for the magistrature. Under the reform the council would be split into two distinct bodies, one for judges and one for prosecutors, and the composition process would shift from election to selection by lottery. Supporters frame that change as a safeguard against capture by vested interests and a means of depoliticizing appointments.

Backers within the government argue the measures are necessary to reduce conflicts of interest, to limit perceived political bias in high-profile probes, and to clarify institutional responsibilities between judging and prosecuting. Meloni’s coalition presents the reform as a structural remedy to what it describes as overreach by magistrates in areas including infrastructure procurement and migration policy.

Magistrates’ associations, centre-left parties, and legal scholars have mounted a sustained campaign against the changes, asserting they would weaken judicial independence and create new mechanisms for political interference. Opponents contend the separation could be used to steer prosecutorial priorities and that a lottery-based selection process would dilute professional accountability without strengthening impartiality.

The government has denied that the reform seeks to place prosecutors under executive control, pointing to comparable arrangements in other European countries such as the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Political leaders also say the March vote will be held alongside by-elections on the same dates, with polling open on Sunday and Monday to accommodate turnout.

The referendum poses a dual institutional and political test. Institutionally, a yes vote would constitutionally lock in the career split and new governance structures for the magistrature, reshaping how Italy selects and disciplines its judicial officials. A no vote would preserve the existing single-entry system and the current composition of the self-governing council.

Politically, the outcome will be read as a barometer of popular support for Meloni’s administration and its approach to justice-sector reform. Recent polls show Italians divided on the measure, and observers expect intense campaigning from both sides. Meloni has dismissed suggestions that a defeat would force her resignation or trigger early national elections, indicating she will remain in office regardless of the result.

As the referendum approaches, the campaign will test the capacity of Italy’s institutions to absorb a major constitutional change while exposing deep public and political divisions over the role and oversight of the judiciary.