Elections in Italy

Italy court verdict could pave way for early elections

Italy’s highest court has opened the way for early elections in 2017 after favouring a form of proportional representation in a ruling that could bolster former prime minister Matteo Renzi’s chances of making a comeback.

In a verdict on the legality of an electoral law brought in by Renzi’s government, the constitutional court also said a party winning at least 40% of the vote could be given an automatic parliamentary majority.

But it rejected the part of the so-called Italicum law, approved in 2015, that called for a runoff ballot in future national elections, saying the vote should be held in just one round. Critics feared a runoff round would leave too much power in the hands of one party.