Italians are consulting on labor law reforms and expediting citizenship.

Italians began voting today, Sunday, in a series of referendums that will continue for two days until tomorrow, Monday, addressing labor law reforms and expediting naturalization procedures.

The referendums mainly focus on labor law, including enhancing protection against arbitrary dismissal, increasing end-of-service benefits, converting fixed-term contracts into permanent ones, and holding employers responsible for workplace accidents.

The fifth referendum concerns expediting the granting of Italian citizenship to residents from outside the European Union, allowing them to obtain it after five years of residency instead of the current ten years.

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT), and the results are expected to be announced after the stations close tomorrow, Monday, at 3 p.m.

More than 51 million eligible voters have the right to participate in the voting, but the results will only be binding if the voter turnout exceeds 50% of eligible voters, noting that many previous referendums in Italy failed due to low turnout.

These referendums are in response to initiatives by labor unions and the opposition left, while the ruling right-wing coalition in Rome, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, advises its supporters not to participate.

Meloni, the leader of the far-right "Brothers of Italy" party, has been leading a coalition of three right-wing and conservative parties since late 2022.