Meloni's Judicial Reform Referendum: A Leadership Test

0:00It's March 23rd. I'm Corey with The Story. This is Global News, driven by AI and billed for a global audience. Italy's Prime Minister, Georgia Maloney, is facing a major political test with a two-day referendum on judicial reform that kicked off on Sunday. Originally pitched as a technical update to the Justice System, it's turned into a broader vote on her leadership just a year after national elections. People show a tight race between yes and no votes, and turn out after the first 12 hours hit, over 38% of eligible voters, the highest ever for a referendum like this at that point. Maloney initially kept her distance from the yes campaign to avoid any backlash, but as surveys tightened, she jumped in fully. She's ramped up her warnings that rejecting the changes would empower unaccountable judges, slow down security efforts on migration and risk public, safety. First shift comes as she leads Italy's most stable government in years and builds

1:00clout with European allies. Voters and analysts are divided, with the center-left opposition uniting against the plan, calling it a threat to judicial independence. One expert notes a no vote would dent Maloney's image of strength and boost rivals. Every day Italians see it differently, some back it to fix a slow court system, while others view it as self-serving for the government. There's also talk of a Trump risk as her ties to the U.S. president grow unpopular amid global tensions. The reforms target long-standing issues, like separating judges and prosecutors career paths so they can't switch roles and splitting the top. Judicial counsel into three chambers was selections by lottery instead of internal elections. Supporters say it'll speed things up and add accountability, critics, including top anti-Mafia prosecutors argue it ignores real fixes for corruption, and why call a crime. Whatever the outcome, this referendum could reshape Maloney's path through her term

2:00until 2027 and influence Italy's place in a shaky, European landscape, while sparking fresh debates on balancing justice reform with independence.