Strait of Messina Bridge, the Court of Cassation records the request for an abrogative referendum

The Supreme Court of Cassation recorded, on November 9, 2026, the statement of ten Italian citizens who intend to promote an abrogative referendum on the law regarding the Bridge over the Strait. The announcement is published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series no. 262 of November 10, 2026, with the reference 26A05928, in the section dedicated to announcements from the Court of Cassation. From that moment, the collection of signatures necessary to support the initiative is open.

The question filed with the Court of Cassation

The published act reports in full the question that would be submitted to the voters, formulated pursuant to Article 75 of the Constitution:

• “Do you wish for Law no. 58 of May 26, 2023, concerning the Conversion into law, with amendments, of Decree-Law no. 35 of March 31, 2023, containing urgent provisions for the realization of the fixed link between Sicily and Calabria, to be repealed?”

The subject of the referendum is therefore the entire legislative text that converted the decree with which the Government had issued the urgent provisions for the crossing work of the Strait of Messina, not a single article or paragraph. Any repeal would affect the conversion norm approved in May 2023 as a whole.

Five hundred thousand signatures and domicile in Bari

The announcement from the Chancery is issued pursuant to Articles 7 and 27 of Law no. 352 of May 25, 1970, which regulates the conduct of referendum consultations. The ten promoters have declared their intention to collect “at least 500,000 signatures of voters,” the threshold prescribed for requests for an abrogative referendum.

The applicants, provided with certificates proving their registration in the electoral lists, have also elected their domicile at the Referendum Pop Promoting Committee:

• Address: via Giuseppe Saverio Poli 33, Bari (BA), ZIP 70124
• Electronic contact: politicamentepop@gmail.com
• Declared signature threshold: at least 500,000 voters
• Date of the record in Cassation: November 9, 2026

The promoting committee is therefore the only entity formally identified in the gazette as the reference for the initiative, with its declared headquarters in the Apulian regional capital.

An issue of national relevance

The publication of the announcement in the General Series marks the transition from the initiative phase to the signature collection phase, the moment when the issue fully enters the national public debate. The fixed link between Sicily and Calabria is a project on which opposing political and administrative positions have clashed for years, and the request to repeal the conversion norm directly affects the legislative framework upon which the project rests.

It should be remembered that the notice published in the official gazette is an act of certification: the Court of Cassation acknowledges the declaration of the promoters; it does not express an opinion on the merits of the question. The verification of formal requirements and the signatures collected, as well as the subsequent phases of the procedure, remain governed by Law no. 352 of May 25, 1970. For readers, the practical news is a date and an address: from November 9, 2026, the initiative against the Bridge over the Strait officially exists and is measured against the goal of 500,000 signatures.

Official Gazette of the Italian Republic, General Series no. 262 of November 10, 2026, notice 26A05928 — Supreme Court of Cassation, Announcement of a request for an abrogative referendum.