Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is publicly at odds with coalition partner Matteo Salvini after the Senate postponed debate on a bill that would, for the first time in Italian law, define sex without consent as rape.
The proposed legislation — developed through a rare cross-party agreement between Meloni's Brothers of Italy and the centre‑left Democratic Party (PD) — would classify non‑consensual intercourse as rape, carrying a prison sentence of six to 12 years. It had been expected to come before the Senate on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Last‑minute delay and political calculation
The debate was postponed after a last‑minute request from Matteo Salvini, leader of the League and a key partner in Meloni's three‑party right‑wing coalition. Salvini said the bill "left room for personal vendettas" and risked being open to subjective interpretation. His intervention followed a strong regional showing for the League in Veneto, prompting observers to suggest he is seeking to consolidate the party's conservative credentials.
Fractures within the governing coalition
The delay has spotlighted tensions within the coalition. Meloni — Italy’s first female prime minister — has not publicly commented on the stalled consent measure, while other coalition figures expressed differing views.
“They’re contradicting Meloni, they want to dismantle the law,” said PD politician Francesco Boccia.
Alessandro Zan, a senior PD official, condemned the postponement: "Blocking the bill on consent on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is not only serious, it is shameful." He warned that the U‑turn sent a damaging message that women's safety and dignity were being subordinated to internal political maneuvering.
By contrast, Eugenia Roccella, family minister and member of Brothers of Italy, said the bill raised "strong doubts" in some areas and argued it was preferable to take more time to pass a convincing law.
Legal context and related reforms
Under current Italian law, sexual violence is defined as forcing someone to perform or undergo sexual acts "through violence, threats, or abuse of authority," but the penal code does not explicitly state that lack of consent alone is sufficient to constitute rape. The consent bill sought to change that legal standard.
While the consent measure was put on hold, parliament approved a separate law classifying femicide — the murder of a woman motivated by gender — as a distinct crime punishable by life imprisonment. The move comes amid public outrage over a series of recent femicides and criticism that authorities are not doing enough to protect women.
What comes next
Supporters of the consent bill say lawmakers should return to debate the text promptly and close any interpretive gaps. Critics within the coalition want revisions to ensure legal clarity and guard against unintended consequences. The timetable for reconvening the debate is uncertain, leaving a high‑profile reform in limbo and raising questions about how the coalition will reconcile competing priorities.
