The defeat of a highly politicized judicial reform referendum exposes limits to the Italian government's dominance, and may embolden the fragmented opposition and strain coalition unity ahead of next year's elections. It also increases the government's incentives to complete the legislature and pursue electoral reform to strengthen its reelection prospects. Italian voters rejected a government-backed judicial reform in a March 22-23 referendum, with the "No" camp securing 53.7% of the vote, according to official results. The outcome blocks changes to the Italian Constitution proposed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government. The vote followed a highly politicized campaign, with turnout approaching 60%, nearly nine points higher than the last comparable referendum in 2020, and strong participation among younger voters.