2026 Italian constitutional referendum

A constitutional referendum concerning the reform of the judicial system was held in Italy on 22 and 23 March 2026. Its purpose was to revise Title II and Title IV of Part II of the Italian constitution. It was the fifth constitutional referendum in the history of the Italian Republic.

Voters were asked whether they approved a constitutional law, often called the "Nordio Reform" (Riforma Nordio) after Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio, that would amend the Italian Constitution in various aspects, most notably by proposing the constitutional separation of career paths between judges and public prosecutors, the splitting of the High Council of the Judiciary (CSM) into two distinct bodies, and the selection of CSM members by sortition rather than traditional election, as well as the establishment of a High Disciplinary Court to oversee disciplinary proceedings.

The government-initiated constitutional bill was approved by the Senate of the Republic on 30 October 2025. Since it did not reach the qualified two-thirds majority in each chamber of the Italian Parliament during the parliamentary approval process, pursuant to Article 138 of the Italian Constitution, the necessary signatures were soon collected to request a confirmatory constitutional referendum.

In a higher-than-expected turnout and in contrast to late polls showing a close election, after earlier polls had initially shown a significant advantage for those in favour, voters rejected the constitutional reform 53.2% to 46.8%. This was seen as a significant blow to the Meloni government. A quorum was not required for the referendum to be valid, and the Nordio law submitted to referendum would have been promulgated if confirmed by a majority of valid votes.