ITALIAN voters have rejected judicial changes backed by far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Monday’s vote delivered a stinging rebuff to Ms Meloni’s government one year before national elections are due to be held.

“Italian citizens have decided and we respect their decision as always,” Ms Meloni said in a video posted on Instagram. 

The No camp won almost 54 per cent of the vote against the government‑backed Yes campaign, which secured about 46 per cent, according to final results released by the Interior Ministry.

Turnout in the two‑day referendum, which began on Sunday, was considerably higher than expected, almost 59 per cent, following a polarising campaign. 

It energised the centre-left opposition, which warned that the plans posed a threat to judicial independence.

They would have separated the career structures of prosecutors and judges, splitting the Superior Council of the Judiciary, currently elected, into two oversight bodies and a new disciplinary council comprised of some presidential appointees, some lawyers approved by parliament and others chosen by lot.

Opposition parties, civil society groups and legal associations formed a unified front, warning that the changes could undermine institutional checks and balances.

With political tensions already running high, public debate intensified in the final weeks before the referendum, turning it into a de facto confidence vote on Ms Meloni’s premiership.

The defeat, especially after a campaign so closely tied to her personal leadership, raises questions about the stability of the governing coalition.

Elly Schlein, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, hailed the referendum result and said opposition forces would “continue to work together and we’ll build a real alternative to this government.”