Italian political figures from the ruling coalition have expressed their intention to abstain from voting in the upcoming referendums scheduled for June 8 and 9, which will address five questions proposed by labor union CGIL—four related to labor rights and one concerning citizenship.

Francesco Lollobrigida, a prominent member of the Brothers of Italy party, openly declared that he would not participate, stating that many of the questions appear more like a party congress than a genuine referendum.

Other coalition leaders have echoed this sentiment, including Matteo Salvini, the leader of the League, who noted his plans to spend time with family instead of voting.

Salvini stated, "I will not go to vote—Italians are mature enough, and each person is free to decide whether to vote or not."

Antonio Tajani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, was among the first to advocate for abstention, claiming that he does not support the referendum initiative.

Further reinforcing this position, Ignazio La Russa, the President of the Senate, indicated that he would campaign against participation to ensure that people stay at home during the voting period.

Notably, regional leaders from the League, such as Massimiliano Fedriga of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Attilio Fontana of Lombardy, also confirmed their non-participation.

In response, the Democratic Party (PD) has criticized these calls to abstain.

Arturo Scotto, the PD group leader in the Labor Commission of the Chamber of Deputies, articulated that a minister has a greater obligation to promote democratic participation than private citizens do.

Scotto emphasized that Lollobrigida has yet to address serious issues such as combating labor exploitation and providing fair conditions for migrant workers in agriculture.

He described the government's stance as a scandal and called for efforts to ensure voter turnout meets the required quorum on referendum days.

The PD's concerns were echoed by Riccardo Magi, President of the +Europa party and a promoter of the citizenship referendum, who characterized the actions of Lollobrigida and others as anti-democratic.

Magi urged Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to uphold the Constitution and encouraged voter participation against the backdrop of what he described as a government strategy that favors leisure over civic engagement.

On May 19, members of the PD, 5 Star Movement (M5S), and Left Alliance (AVS) are set to demonstrate in Rome in support of the CGIL's initiative “Voting is Freedom.” In a joint statement, they criticized the majority government for fostering a toxic public debate surrounding the referendums and deemed the call for abstention as damaging to democratic health, already stressed by the current government's policies.

Additionally, the Italian Communications Authority (Agcom) has issued a warning to Rai and other national audiovisual and radio service providers, urging them to ensure adequate media coverage of the referendums' five topics.

This directive aims to provide citizens with accurate, impartial, and comprehensive information regarding the referendum questions and the reasons behind the voting options.

Agcom reiterated the importance of responsible broadcasting to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.