It was the most social media driven referendum ever Thanks in part to the role of Gen Z

The victory of the No in the justice referendum was announced yesterday afternoon, just over an hour after the polls closed. A landslide win, with nearly 54% of the vote and turnout hovering around 59%, a figure that hasn’t been seen in years, as highlighted by Il Post. The result appears to have been driven by the 18–34 age group: according to a RAI survey, 61.1% of young voters chose to keep the Italian Constitution unchanged. It’s no coincidence, then, that in the final months of the campaign, with a clear peak in the last weeks, social media became saturated with political content. We are likely witnessing the rise of a new way of doing politics, primarily driven by Gen Z.

Polymarket bets on the referendum outcome

After predicting Maduro’s capture and Mamdani’s victory, the cryptocurrency-based betting platform Polymarket had also “called” the No victory—but only on Monday. According to tracking by VD News, uncertainty linked to fluctuating turnout also shook the platform’s predictions: in the early hours of voting, the Yes was expected to win with a 67% lead, before the No regained momentum during the second day. The issue, however, is that last October Italy’s Customs and Monopolies Agency had already blocked the platform in Italy, classifying it as an unlicensed gambling site. Today it is still technically accessible, but users cannot place bets—at least officially (even if VPNs still make it relatively easy to get around these restrictions).

Meloni’s apology video

After acknowledging the referendum result, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni published a video on her official social media channels. Rather than an institutional address, however, the video felt closer to a classic apology video—and not just any, but one reminiscent of Chiara Ferragni’s post-pandorogate video: same grey sweater, same minimal makeup, same carefully constructed sense of “authenticity.” The unexpected common thread? Fedez. Despite the defeat and calls from several left-wing politicians, Meloni confirmed she will not step down from her position and that she and Fratelli d’Italia «will move forward».

Gen Z votes on Vinted

Expressing opinions on Instagram, TikTok or Twitter is no longer enough: for this referendum, Gen Z brought politics onto the most popular second-hand platform, Vinted. In the days leading up to the vote, several listings featuring flyers and drawings appeared, encouraging users to vote No. These listings were uploaded under the art and memorabilia category, priced symbolically at one euro, effectively turning the resale platform into a small space of decentralized, grassroots propaganda. It remains unclear how much this mobilization actually influenced the referendum’s outcome, but it sent a strong and clear message: Gen Z does not want any boundaries when it comes to expression.