Italian Citizenship Referendum Fails After Low Turnout

A referendum proposal to reduce the residency requirement for non-EU adults to gain citizenship from 10 years to five failed to win enough votes to become law.

A woman casts her ballot in a box for referendums on citizenship and job protections, at a polling station in Milan, Italy, on June 8, 2025. Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP

Low turnout in Italy has scuttled the results of a two-day referendum on a series of major reforms, including a proposal to ease citizenship laws.

That measure sought to reduce the residency requirement for naturalization from 10 years to five for non-EU adults living in Italy.