Italy's progressive camp had a chance to demonstrate its strength. It clearly failed to. As the legislative term that brought far-right leader Giorgia Meloni to the premiership reached its midpoint – with the coalition's electoral base still intact – the main opposition forces lost their gamble. On Monday, June 9, as polling stations closed after two days of voting, the popular-initiative referendums on labor rights and access to citizenship, pushed by the opposition, did not attract enough voters to validate the results, with turnout remaining far below the quorum set at 50% plus one registered voter. By the end of voting, participation across all referendums peaked at less than 30.6%.

Italians were asked to vote on five separate issues. Three aimed to reverse legislative measures that removed protections for employees in cases of dismissal or made it easier for employers to use fixed-term contracts. Another referendum sought to strengthen the accountability of contracting companies in workplace accidents occurring under subcontracting arrangements, an ongoing issue in Italy and one that frequently makes headlines.

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