Italy votes on four amendments: Voters in Italy are debating whether to shorten the 10-year legal residency requirement for non-EU immigrant adults seeking citizenship to five years.
Voters in a two-day abrogative referendum on whether to reverse labor market liberalization and lower citizenship requirements started casting ballots on Sunday.
Five questions will be put to a vote by the public, the first of which is about Italian citizenship and needs at least 50% of the vote.
Voters in Italy will decide whether to shorten the 10-year legal residency requirement for non-EU immigrant adults seeking citizenship to five years.
The employment contract, which contains rules and enhanced protections against wrongful termination, is another matter of concern.
A partial repeal of the regulations imposing term limits on employment contracts and the exclusion of solidary responsibility for injuries sustained by employees of contracting or subcontracting companies among the client, contractor, and subcontractor are also being considered, as are dismissals and the associated compensation for small businesses.
Since non-EU people must remain continuously for ten years in order to obtain Italian citizenship, a successful vote might help some 2.5 million non-EU nationals.
The Italian General Confederation of Labour (CGIL) and left-leaning parties have called for the referendums, which seek to overturn portions of the Jobs Act and restore more robust worker safeguards and compensation plans for small business layoffs.
In an attempt to nullify the referendum by preventing voter turnout from reaching the quorum, which requires at least 50% of the vote, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s coalition government has voiced opposition to the amendments and asked for an abstention.
Voters in other countries have already cast their ballots by mail, but the balloting will continue until Monday night.
