Italy lower house passes new electoral law

ROME - 12 October 2017: The Italian Chamber of Deputies on Thursday gave its final approval to a contested electoral law that is likely to penalise the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement in next year's election.

The bill, which is supported by the ruling Democratic Party (PD) and mainstream centre-right opposition parties, was approved in a secret ballot by 375 votes to 215, and will now move to the upper house Senate for further debate.

The so-called 'Rosatellum' law favours parties which group together ahead of the election. The 5-Star refuses to join any alliance and says the reform could cost it at least 50 seats in the next parliament, hobbling its chances of taking power.