ROME (AP) — Italy's referendums aimed at relaxing citizenship laws and improving job protections failed on Monday because of low turnout. But organizers said that it contributed to restarting ...

Italy will likely decide whether or not to decriminalize cannabis in a referendum next year, after campaign groups managed to gather the required 500,000 signatures in a week.

Leader of Italy’s center-left Democratic Party, Elly Schlein, casts her ballots in referendums on citizenship and job protections, at a polling station in Rome, Italy, Sunday, June 8, 2025.

The referendum, which sought to reduce the time it takes to become a naturalized citizen from 10 years to five, failed because fewer than 50% of eligible voters took part in two days of voting.

An Italian referendum on granting faster citizenship to immigrants has failed due to low voter turnout. Italy's right-wing government was against it and tried to boycott the democratic process.

The referendum was initiated by a citizens' initiative and is supported by civil society groups. But for such a referendum to be valid, 50% of all voters in Italy have to turn up.

Weed advocates in Italy said on Saturday they had gathered enough signatures to trigger a referendum on liberalising the use of cannabis, setting the stage for a nationwide vote on the issue early ...

The referendum, which sought to reduce the time it takes to become a naturalized citizen from 10 years to five, failed because fewer than 50% of eligible voters took part in two days of voting.

The referendum on citizenship, however, proved to be more divisive than the others, as only about 65% voted “yes” in support of measures easing the current laws.