In 2025, Italian citizens will be asked to vote on five abrogative referendum questions. This was ruled by the Constitutional Court, which declared four abrogative referendums on labor and one on citizenship admissible. The consultations will be held on Sunday, June 8 and Monday, June 9 in Italy, while AIRE members, including Italians residing in New York and the rest of the United States, will receive the ballot envelope in the mail by May 21 and must return it by 4 p.m. local time on June 5.
The four labor questions, promoted by a broad union and association front, have collected more than 4 million signatures. The first one points to the repeal of the entire 2015 Legislative Decree 23, or the regulation of the crescent-protection contract introduced by the Jobs Act. Currently, workers hired after March 7, 2015 in companies with more than 15 employees cannot be reinstated in their jobs even in the case of dismissal declared unlawful by the court. The goal of the referendum is to restore the right to reinstatement in case of unfair dismissal.
The second question, on the other hand, concerns workers in small businesses. It is proposed to repeal the rule that sets the maximum compensation for unjustified dismissal in companies with fewer than 16 employees at six months’ pay. “A limit that,” according to the proponents, “leaves millions of workers in a condition of blackmail and weakness,” and which they want to overcome to allow judges to determine compensation without predefined constraints.
The third referendum focuses on precarity and calls for the elimination of certain parts of the legislation on fixed-term contracts, particularly those that allow fixed-term contracts to be entered into for 12 months without stating any reasons. Currently, more than two million people in Italy have temporary contracts. The intent is to make the indication of justifications compulsory again, to limit the misuse of fixed-term work.
The fourth question concerns safety in the workplace. It proposes to repeal a provision of the Consolidated Safety Act that today excludes the liability of the principal in case of accidents caused by specific risks of the activity carried out by contractors or subcontractors. According to proponents, this encourages the use of companies that do not comply with accident prevention regulations. Extending liability to the principal as well would serve to strengthen prevention.
The fifth referendum, distinct from the previous ones, concerns Italian citizenship for resident aliens. Specifically, it proposes to reduce from ten to five years the minimum period of continuous legal residence required to apply for citizenship. According to estimates, the reform would potentially affect about 2.5 million people. The amendment does not touch other requirements such as language proficiency, income, criminal record and absence of security reasons.
In New York and the United States, all citizens registered with AIRE will be able to vote by mail. Italians temporarily abroad for work, study or medical treatment can apply to their municipality of residence by May 7 to receive a ballot envelope. Those who do not receive the materials by May 25 can contact their consulate to obtain a duplicate.
Voting by mail involves sending the envelope, containing the ballots and an information sheet, to the address registered with AIRE. The ballots must be voted, placed in the appropriate envelopes and returned following the instructions. Only envelopes arrived at the consulate by 4 p.m. local time on June 5 will be considered valid for the final count.
The 2025 referendum round is part of a growing focus on labor and civil rights issues. For many Italians abroad, including the New York community, it represents an opportunity to contribute directly to shaping the country’s social and civil policies, even from afar.
Therefore, to recap for residents abroad:
Se sei residente all’estero con iscrizione all’AIRE riceverai il plico elettorale direttamente all’indirizzo in cui vivi all’estero e voterai per corrispondenza.
Se sei residente all’estero con iscrizione all’AIRE ma vuoi votare in Italia, devi comunicarlo in forma scritta al consolato del tuo paese estero entro il 10 aprile.
Se sei all’estero per almeno 3 mesi, puoi votare dall’estero (mediante il voto per corrispondenza) comunicandolo al tuo comune di residenza (in cui va indicato il luogo di temporaneo domicilio all’estero) entro il 7 maggio 2025
IMPORTANT. If you have changed your residence you must notify your consulate quickly. Check or update your address at: https://serviziconsolari.esteri.it/ScoFE/index.sco
The article Repeal Referendum 2025: all the voting arrangements for overseas residents comes from TheNewyorker.
