1996 Italian general election

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Infobox election

The 1996 Italian general election was held on 21 April 1996 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. Romano Prodi, leader of the centre-left The Olive Tree, won the election, narrowly defeating Silvio Berlusconi, who led the centre-right Pole for Freedoms.

For the election, the Northern League of Umberto Bossi ran alone after having left the Berlusconi I Cabinet in 1994, causing a crisis which drove President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro to appoint a technocratic cabinet led by Lamberto Dini, which in turn lost its parliamentary support in 1995, forcing Scalfaro to dissolve the Italian Parliament. The Communist Refoundation Party, led by Fausto Bertinotti, made a pre-electoral alliance with The Olive Tree, presenting its own candidates, supported by Prodi's coalition, mainly in some safe leftist constituencies, in exchange for supporting Olive Tree candidates on the other ones, and ensuring external support for a Prodi government.

Electoral system

The intricate electoral system of Italy, nicknamed as Mattarellum after Sergio Mattarella, who was the official proponent, provided a 75% of the seats on the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house) as elected by a plurality voting system, whereas the remaining 25% was assigned by proportional representation with a minimum threshold of 4%. If possible, the method associate on the Senate was even more complicated: 75% of seats by uninominal method, and 25% by a special proportional method that actually assigned the remaining seats to minority parties.

General election

Background

In December 1994, following the communication of a new investigation from Milan magistrates that was leaked to the press, Umberto Bossi, leader of the Northern League, left the coalition claiming that the electoral pact had not been respected, forcing Berlusconi to resign from office and shifting the majority's weight to the centre-left side. The Northern League also resented the fact that many of its MPs had switched to Forza Italia, allegedly lured by promises of more prestigious portfolios.

Berlusconi remained as caretaker prime minister for a little over a month until his replacement by a technocratic government headed by Lamberto Dini. Dini had been a key minister in the Berlusconi cabinet, and Berlusconi said the only way he would support a technocratic government would be if Dini headed it. In the end, Dini was only supported by most opposition parties and not by Forza Italia and Northern League.

In December 1995, Dini resigned as Prime Minister and President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro decided to begin consultations to form a government, supported by all the parties in the Italian Parliament to make constitutional reforms. In a TV debate on 19 January 1996, both Silvio Berlusconi and Democratic Party of the Left leader Massimo D'Alema supported constitutional reforms; however, there were many problems on this theme in both coalition, as Gianfranco Fini and Romano Prodi wanted a snap election, not sure that the reforms would be helpful for the country. On 16 February 1996, a snap election was called.

Campaign

On 19 February 1996, the outgoing Prime Minister Lamberto Dini announced that he would run in the election with a new party allied with The Olive Tree rather than Berlusconi's Pole of Freedoms. Shortly after, Berlusconi claimed that Dini "copied our electoral programme".[1]

Another important declaration was that of Umberto Bossi, the leader of the regionalist Northern League, which was very important in 1994 to help Berlusconi winning the election. Bossi said that his party would not support Berlusconi anymore and run alone in the election. At the same time, Prodi's coalition made a pre-electoral agreement with Communist Refoundation Party in which Fausto Bertinotti's party undertook to support Prodi's government after the election in case of no parliamentary majority.

On 25 March 1996, Berlusconi organised a manifestation in Milan against taxes (The Tax Day) attended by many Milanese artisans; on the same day in Turin, Prodi was heavily contested during his electoral speech and accused of not wanting to lower taxes.[2]

Main coalitions and parties

Coalition Party Main ideology Party leader Coalition leader
rowspan="8" style="background-color:Template:Party color"| The Olive Tree style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) Democratic socialism Massimo D'Alema Romano Prodi
style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Populars for Prodi (PPI–UD–PRI–SVP) Christian democracy Franco Marini
style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Italian Renewal (RI) Liberalism Lamberto Dini
style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Federation of the Greens (FdV) Green politics Franco Corleone
style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Labour Federation (FL) Social democracy Valdo Spini
style="background-color:Template:Party color" | Italian Socialists (SI) Social democracy Enrico Boselli
The Network (LR) Anti-corruption politics Leoluca Orlando
bgcolor=Template:Party color| Segni Pact (PS) Christian liberalism Mario Segni
rowspan="4" style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Pole for Freedoms style="background-color:Template:Party color"| Forza Italia (FI) Liberal conservatism Silvio Berlusconi Silvio Berlusconi
style="background-color:Template:Party color"| National Alliance (AN) National conservatism Gianfranco Fini
Christian Democratic Centre (CCD) Christian democracy Pier Ferdinando Casini
United Christian Democrats (CDU) Christian democracy Rocco Buttiglione
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Northern League (LN) Regionalism Umberto Bossi
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) Communism Fausto Bertinotti
Pannella–Sgarbi List (LPS) Liberalism Marco Pannella
style="background:Template:Party color;"| Tricolour Flame (FT) Neo-fascism Pino Rauti

Results

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".

Chamber of Deputies

Overall results

← Summary of the 21 April 1996 Chamber of Deputies election results →
Template:Switcher
Coalition Party Proportional First-past-the-post Total
seats 		+/–
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
rowspan="7" style="background:Template:Party color;"| The Olive Tree bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) 7,894,118 21.06 26 15,747,455 42.01 146 172Template:Efn +48
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Populars for Prodi (PPI–UD–PRI–SVP) 2,554,072 6.81 4 65 69Template:Efn +18
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Italian Renewal (RI) 1,627,380 4.34 8 18 26Template:Efn New
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Federation of the Greens (FdV) 938,665 2.50 0 14 14 +3
The Network (LR) Template:N/A Template:N/A 0 3 3 −5
Ladin Autonomist Union (UAL) Template:N/A Template:N/A 0 1 1 +1
Total seats 38 247 285 –
rowspan="4" bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Pole for Freedoms bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Forza Italia (FI) 7,712,149 20.57 37 15,027,030 40.08 86 123Template:Efn −9
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | National Alliance (AN) 5,870,491 15.66 28 65 93 −17
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | CCD – CDU 2,189,563 5.84 12 28 30Template:Efn +3
Total seats 77 169 246 –
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Northern League (LN) 3,776,354 10.07 20 4,038,239 10.77 39 59 −59
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) 3,213,748 8.57 20 982,505 2.62 15 35 −3
style="background:Template:Party color;" | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) Template:N/A Template:N/A 0 156,708 0.42 3 3 ±0
Southern Action League (LAM) 72,062 0.19 0 82,373 0.22 1 1 ±0
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Aosta Valley (VdA) Template:N/A Template:N/A 0 37,431 0.10 1 1 ±0
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Others 1,635,796 4.39 0 1,223,368 3.78 0 0 ±0
Total 37,484,398 100.00 155 37,295,109 100.00 475 630 —

Proportional and FPTP results

First-past-the-post
Parties and coalitions Vote % Seats
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Pole for Freedoms (PpL) 15,027,030 40.09 169
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| The Olive Tree (Ulivo) 14,447,548 38.54 228
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Northern League (LN) 4,038,239 10.77 39
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| The Olive Tree – Venetian Autonomy League (Ulivo–LAV) 997,534 2.66 14
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Progressives 982,505 2.62 15
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Tricolour Flame (FT) 624,558 1.67 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| The Olive Tree – Sardinian Action Party (Ulivo–PSd'Az) 269,047 0.72 4
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) 156,708 0.42 3
Southern Action League (LAM) 82,373 0.22 1
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Pannella-Sgarbi List (LPS) 69,406 0.19 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Clean Hands (MP) 68,443 0.18 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Socialist Party (PS) 44,786 0.12 0
Sardigna Natzione (SN) 42,246 0.11 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Aosta Valley (VdA) 37,431 0.10 1
Democracy and Freedom (DL) 33,326 0.09 1
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Renovation 28,988 0.08 0
Humanist Party (PU) 27,694 0.07 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Italian Renaissance Movement (MRI) 24,074 0.06 0
Union for South Tyrol (UfS) 23,032 0.06 0
We Sicilians – Sicilian National Front (NS–FNS) 20,102 0.05 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Pact for the Agro 18,836 0.05 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) 17,996 0.05 0
Greens Greens 12,905 0.03 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Environmentalists 12,299 0.03 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Liberal Federalists (FL) 11,563 0.03 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Aosta Valley for the Olive Tree 11,526 0.03 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Social Democracy (DS) 9,760 0.03 0
North-East Union (UNE) 9,669 0.03 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Independent Group Freedom (GIL) 8,805 0.02 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Natural Law Party (PLN) 7,708 0.02 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Moderates 6,208 0.02 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| New Energies 5,627 0.02 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| New Democracy (ND) 5,333 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Development and Legality 5,275 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| For Marche 4,317 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Resurgence of the South 4,291 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Free North Autonomy 4,013 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| New Ways 3,904 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| State of Friuli 3,345 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Liberist Solidary Alliance 3,219 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Ingenuity and Audacity 2,805 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Venetian Solidarity 2,655 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| South Pole Movement 2,310 0.01 0
Federalist Italian League (LIF) 2,268 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Trieste Women's Pact 2,121 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Others 71,281 0.19 0
Total 37,295,109 100.00 475
Source: Ministry of the Interior
Proportional
Party Votes % Seats
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) 7,894,118 21.06 26
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Forza Italia (FI) 7,712,149 20.57 37
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| National Alliance (AN) 5,870,491 15.66 28
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Northern League (LN) 3,776,354 10.07 20
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) 3,213,748 8.57 20
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Populars for Prodi (PPI–UD–PRI–SVP) 2,554,072 6.81 4
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | CCD – CDU 2,189,563 5.84 12
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Italian Renewal (RI) 1,627,380 4.34 8
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Federation of the Greens (FdV) 938,665 2.50 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Pannella-Sgarbi List (LPS) 702,988 1.88 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Tricolour Flame (FT) 339,351 0.91 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Socialist Party (PS) 149,441 0.40 0
Southern Action League (LAM) 72,062 0.19 0
North-East Union (UNE) 63,934 0.17 0
Union for South Tyrol (UfS) 55,548 0.15 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Clean Hands (MP) 44,935 0.12 0
We Sicilians – Sicilian National Front (NS–FNS) 41,001 0.11 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Sardinian Action Party (PSd'Az) 38,002 0.10 0
Greens Greens 25,788 0.07 0
Sardigna Natzione (SN) 23,355 0.06 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Independent Group Freedom 17,451 0.05 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Environmentalists 15,560 0.04 0
Humanist Party (PU) 14,601 0.04 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Renovation 13,677 0.04 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Pact for the Agro 12,297 0.03 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Social Democracy 9,319 0.02 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Italian Renaissance Movement (MRI) 8,886 0.02 0
Tuscan Autonomist Movement (MAT) 8,627 0.02 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Natural Law Party (PLN) 8,298 0.02 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| New Democracy 8,185 0.02 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Liberal Federalists (FL) 6,475 0.02 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| For Marche 5,545 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| New Energies 5,393 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Development and Legality 5,347 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Free North Autonomy 4,965 0.01 0
Federalist Party (PF) 3,743 0.01 0
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Resurgence of the South 3,084 0.01 0
Total 100.00 37,484,398 155
Invalid/blank/unassigned votes – 2,917,376 –
Total – 40,401,774 –
Registered voters/turnout 82.88% 48,744,846 –
Source: Ministry of the Interior
Popular vote (Proportional)
PDS
 
 21.06%
FI
 
 20.57%
AN
 
 15.66%
LN
 
 10.07%
PRC
 
 8.57%
Popolari
 
 6.81%
CCD-CDU
 
 5.84%
RI
 
 4.34%
FdV
 
 2.50%
LPS
 
 1.88%
Others
 
 2.68%

Template:Main other

Popular vote (First-past-the-post)
Ulivo
 
 41.92%
PpL
 
 40.09%
LN
 
 10.77%
PRC
 
 2.62%
FT
 
 1.67%
Others
 
 3.65%

Template:Main other

Senate of the Republic

← Summary of the 21 April 1996 Senate of the Republic election results →
Template:Switcher
Coalition Party First-past-the-post Proportional
Seats 		Total
seats 		+/–
Votes % Seats
rowspan="8" style="background:Template:Party color;"| The Olive Tree bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) 13,444,978 41.21 134 23 102Template:Efn +26
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Italian People's Party (PPI) 27 −4
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Federation of the Greens (FdV) 14 +7
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Italian Renewal (RI) 11Template:Efn New
The Network (LR) 1 −5
Venetian Autonomy League (LAV) 1 +1
Sardinian Action Party (PSd'Az) 1 +1
Total seats 157 –
rowspan="5" bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Pole for Freedoms bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Forza Italia (FI) 12,185,020 37.35 67 49 48Template:Efn +13
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | National Alliance (AN) 43 −4
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | Christian Democratic Centre (CCD) 15 +3
bgcolor="Template:Party color" | United Christian Democrats (CDU) 10 New
Total seats 116 –
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Northern League (LN) 3,394,733 10.41 18 9 27 −33
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Progressives 934,974 2.87 10 0 10 −8
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Tricolour Flame (FT) 747,487 2.29 0 1 1 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Pannella-Sgarbi List (LPS) 509,826 1.56 0 1 1 ±0
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Socialist Party (PS) 286,426 0.88 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | The Fir – South Tyrolean People's Party – PATT 178,425 0.55 2 0 2 −1
Clean Hands 109,113 0.33 0 0 0 New
League for Autonomy – Lombard Alliance 106,313 0.33 0 0 0 New
North-East Union (UNE) 72,541 0.22 0 0 0 New
We Sicilians – Sicilian National Front (NS–FNS) 71,841 0.22 0 0 0 New
Southern Action League (LAM) 66,750 0.20 0 0 0 ±0
Greens Greens 61,434 0.19 0 0 0 ±0
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Pensioners' Party (PP) 60,640 0.19 0 0 0 ±0
Social Democracy 60,016 0.18 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Federation of Italian Civic Lists 55,793 0.17 0 0 0 New
Sardigna Natzione (SN) 44,713 0.14 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Aosta Valley (VdA) 27,493 0.08 1 0 1 ±0
Piedmont Nation of Europe 26,951 0.08 0 0 0 ±0
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Environmentalists 26,756 0.08 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Independent Group Freedom (GIL) 23,301 0.07 0 0 0 New
Union for South Tyrol (UfS) 19,330 0.06 0 0 0 New
Tuscan Autonomist Movement (MAT) 18,691 0.06 0 0 0 ±0
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Pact for the Agro 17,980 0.06 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Renovation 16,216 0.05 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Right of the People 6,710 0.02 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Natural Law Party (PLN) 10,371 0.03 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Democrats for Progress 5,688 0.02 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) 5,681 0.02 0 0 0 —
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Popular Movement of Moralization (MPM) 5,297 0.02 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Azure Alps 5,144 0.02 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Democratic Alternative for the Roman Castles 4,524 0.01 0 0 0 New
Progressive People's Party (PPP) 4,450 0.01 0 0 0 ±0
style="background:Template:Party color;" | For a Normal Country 3,976 0.01 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | European Dolomite Region 2,898 0.01 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Free North Autonomy 2,411 0.01 0 0 0 New
style="background:Template:Party color;" | Hit the Center 2,178 0.01 0 0 0 New
Total 32,624,584 100.00 232 83 315 —
Source: Ministry of the Interior
Popular vote
Ulivo
 
 41.21%
PpL
 
 37.35%
LN
 
 10.41%
Prog.
 
 2.87%
FT
 
 2.29%
LPS
 
 1.56%
Others
 
 5.63%

Template:Main other

Leaders' races

1996 Italian general election (C): Bologna – Mazzini
Candidate Coalition Party Votes %
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Romano Prodi The Olive Tree Ind 55,830 60.82
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Filippo Berselli Pole AN 35,972 39.18
Total 91,802 100.0
Turnout 95,948 92.26
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| The Olive Tree hold
Source: Ministry of the Interior
1996 Italian general election (C): Milan 1
Candidate Coalition Party Votes %
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Silvio Berlusconi Pole FI 46,098 51.50
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Michele Salvati The Olive Tree PDS 32,464 36.27
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Umberto Bossi None LN 10,179 11.37
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Others 766 0.86
Total 89,507 100.0
Turnout 92,969 82.64
bgcolor="Template:Party color"| Pole hold
Source: Ministry of the Interior

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Elections in Italy

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ ANNO 1996 MESE DI MARZO
Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=1996_Italian_general_election&oldid=2094950"