Italy Holds Referendum on Softening Citizenship Requirements

Italian leader Giorgia Meloni opposes a referendum proposal to cut the citizenship wait for non-EU adults from 10 years of residency to just five.
Italy Holds Referendum on Softening Citizenship Requirements
Posters of referendums on employment and Italian citizenship, in Milan, Italy, June 4, 2025. Reuters/Claudia Greco
Owen Evans
Updated:
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Italians are voting in a two-day referendum on a series of major reforms, including whether to ease citizenship laws. However, the vote may ultimately be void if it fails to meet the required turnout threshold.

Opposition parties, as well as a leading trade union opposed to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, are pushing the changes.

Owen Evans
Owen Evans
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Owen Evans is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories, with a particular interest in civil liberties and free speech.