Italy set for pivotal referendums affecting citizenship and labour laws.

Political tensions are mounting in Italy ahead of five upcoming referendums, including a landmark vote on easing the nation's citizenship rules, on 8-9 June.

In order for referendum results to be valid in Italy, voter turnout needs to exceed 50 per cent, meaning that more than 25 million voters will need to cast their vote next month.

The granting of the upcoming referendum on citizenship was the result of an online petition that surpassed its goal of half a million signatures, while the other four referendum questions relate to work.

Italy's right-wing coalition government, which is not in favour of the referendums, is largely promoting abstention as a way to prevent the quorum from being reached, particularly on the citizenship question.

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Voter turnout in Italy for other abrogative referendums - which provide citizens with the chance to repeal existing laws - has been typically low in the recent past.

Of Italy's last nine abrogative referendums over the last three decades, the quorum has been exceeded only once, in 2011, when a 54 per cent turnout led to the rejection of nuclear energy and the privatisation of water services.

Citizenship referendum

This referendum aims to halve the number of years of continual legal residence in Italy required for non-EU citizens to apply for Italian citizenship, cutting the current 10-year requirement down to five.

This would make non-EU citizens eligible for Italian citizenship after five years of legal residency and, once obtained, the citizenship would automatically be passed to the citizen's children.

Under the current legislation, which dates to 1992, non-EU nationals are required to be legally resident in Italy for 10 years before they can apply for citizenship, and children born in Italy to foreigners cannot apply for citizenship until they turn 18.

Other referendums

The other four referendum questions being put to the public vote in June include a push to abolish the Jobs Act, the labour reform implemented by the Renzi government in 2016.

The proposed reforms include restoring stronger protections against unlawful dismissals, removing the cap on compensation for unfair dismissals in small businesses, reintroducing stricter regulations on fixed-term employment contracts, and increasing employer accountability for workplace safety.

The campaign to hold these referendums was promoted by the CGIL trade union, with the support of the centre-left Partito Democratico (PD), the populist Movimento 5 Stelle and the left-wing Greens and Left Alliance (AVS).

Political debate

Ignazio La Russa, a founding member of Meloni's right-wing Fratelli d'Italia party and president of the Italian senate, has openly invited voters to "stay at home".

His call for voter abstention, particularly given his role as the holder of the second-highest ranking office in the state, prompted immediate backlash.

La Russa's invitation to boycott the referendums was echoed by other senior members of the ruling coalition, including deputy premiers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini, respectively leaders of the centre-right Forza Italia and the right-wing Lega.

Last year Meloni dismissed the push for a referendum on citizenship, claiming that Italy already "has an excellent citizenship law" and that she didn't "see the need" to change the system.

Backlash

Riccardo Magi, leader of the centre-left +Europa party, who was the driving force behind the citizenship referendum, has publicly challenged Salvini to explain why he thinks the vote is "dangerous".

Alleging a "lack of information and falsification of information", Magi told reporters on Monday: "When we say that the referendum on citizenship is dangerous, we say it because the theme of citizenship is associated with the theme of crime, insecurity, and the same happens with the theme of immigration."

"When we talk about citizenship we are talking about regular people, legally resident, who are taxpayers in our country, who do not have criminal records, who are up to date with tax payments", Magi said.

Calls from politicians to boycott the referendums have also been blasted by Maurizio Landini, head of the CGIL union, who said last week: "I find it totally dangerous and wrong to invite people not to go out and vote."

Describing it as a "political mistake and very serious at an institutional level", Landini invited people to support the referendums, saying: "People's rights will be improved with this vote".

Polling stations will be open across Italy on Sunday 8 June from 07.00 to 23.00, and on Monday 9 June from 07.00 to 15.00.