Italians Vote On Divorce (Press, 13 May 1974)

On 12 May 1974, Italians prepared to vote in a controversial referendum concerning divorce, where a "yes" vote indicated opposition to divorce and a "no" vote signified support for it. The referendum had created a political rift, delaying government operations for nearly two months. The existing divorce law, enacted in December 1970, is regarded as one of the least liberal in the Western world. The law, which requires a minimum separation of five years for uncontested divorces and seven years if contested, faced a backlash from conservative Roman Catholics who gathered over 1.3 million signatures to force the referendum. Over 37 million voters were scheduled to participate, marking crosses on yellow ballot papers to express their views on whether to annul the dissolution of marriage law. Confusion about the term "abrogation" was notable, with about 30 per cent of respondents reportedly unfamiliar with it according to a recent opinion poll. The referendum also highlighted divisions among Italy's three ruling parties. The Christian Democrats, led by Amintore Fanfani, opposed the divorce law, while the Socialist and Social Democrat parties supported it. The Christian Democrats found an alliance with the small neo-Fascist Italian Social Movement Party and support from the Catholic Church hierarchy in their campaign against divorce. The referendum generated extensive propaganda, with campaigns featuring posters and banners throughout the country, culminating on the eve of the vote with an aggressive distribution of leaflets. Debates in the lead-up to the referendum revolved around emotionally charged concepts such as "liberty," "democracy," and "family." Political rhetoric intensified, with Fanfani suggesting in one instance that legalising divorce could pave the way for homosexual marriages and lesbian relationships. In contrast to church fears of a surge in divorces, data showed that only about 65,000 divorces had been granted since the law's implementation three years prior. As the vote approached, political analysts anticipated a narrow outcome, with many polls indicating a likely triumph for those in favour of divorce, despite doubts surrounding the reliability of these predictions, particularly in less developed, rural southern Italy. The results of the referendum would be announced the following evening at the Ministry of the Interior.

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