Referendum defeat leaves Italy's Meloni looking more vulnerable

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has lost a key referendum on a constitutional reform which had turned into a vote on her government. The result gives around 54% to the "No" campaign and 46% to the "Yes" vote which Meloni had backed. In a video posted on social media even before all the ballots were counted, Meloni said Italians had voted "with clarity" and she would respect their decision, but she regretted a "lost chance to modernise" the country. It is the first significant defeat for Meloni and her right-wing coalition, which has overseen a rare period of political stability for Italy. Opposition parties are hailing the result as a sign that voters are looking for change, with a general election due next year. When the two-day referendum ended on Monday afternoon, exit polls initially showed the "No" vote leading by a small margin, but that grew to a substantial lead as the count progressed. Despite the complex question on the ballot paper, turnout was almost 60%. A high figure had been expected to favour the government, but it was not enough to swing the vote. The reform voters rejected would have inscribed a firm separation between judges and prosecutors into the constit