ITALY’S referendums aimed at relaxing citizenship laws and improving job protections failed on Monday because of low turnout.

The result was a clear defeat for the centre-left opposition and a victory for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her ruling far-right coalition, which openly supported abstention.

Final data showed that turnout stood at 30.6 per cent of eligible voters after two days of polling, well below the 50 per cent plus one required.

Of those who voted, more than 80 per cent voted in favour of the proposed measures aimed at strengthening job protections.

Ms Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party celebrated the result.

“The only real goal of this referendum was to bring down the Meloni government,” the party said on social media, posting a picture of the main opposition’s leaders. “In the end, it was the Italians who brought you down.”

CGIL trade union federation leader Maurizio Landini said: “We knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park. There is an obvious crisis of democracy and participation.”

The five proposals wanted to make it easier for immigrants and children born in Italy to foreigners to obtain citizenship — halving the years of residency required to five from 10 — and improve workers’ rights.