Italian general election, 2008
The elections to the 16th Parliament of both houses of the Italian Parliament were held on 13 and 14 April 2008. Berlusconi's party alliance won in both chambers ( see below); Berlusconi was the Cabinet Berlusconi IV (May 8, 2008 to November 16, 2011).
- 5.1 Chamber of Deputies
- 5.2 Senate
- 5.3 Overseas Constituency Europe: Germany, Austria, Switzerland 5.3.1 Chamber of Deputies
- 5.3.2 Senate
Initial situation
After a lost confidence vote on the government of Romano Prodi in the Senate on 24 January 2008 and the futile efforts of Senate President Franco Marini to form a transitional government ( 30 January-4 February 2008) President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved both houses of parliament on 6 February 2008 and wrote out early elections. Since the two political camps could not agree on a reform of the much criticized election law by a bipartisan provisional Cabinet following the demise of the second Prodi government, the 15th term of Parliament ended than the previously shortest in the Italian post-war history after just two years. For reasons of cost savings also originally in early summer upcoming municipal elections ( April 13-14. ) Were brought forward and two steps of politicians and the media as Election day designated election days merged with the parliamentary elections.
The elections to the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate no longer in dispute, the two political camps as compact storage election campaign as in 2006. While they were striving two years ago in the blocks Casa delle Libertà (center - right) and L' Unione (center - left), with the broadest possible alliances to get as many votes, this time the strongest parties dissolved out from their respective alliances in order to not have to compromise with the many small parties as possible must. After the announcement Walter Veltroni, the top candidate of the largest center-left party Partito Democratico to separate from his left allies of L' Unione and going to the races with a single list, even Silvio Berlusconi felt compelled to take a similar step: Off his Forza Italia, the National Alliance and some splinter parties he made the list Popolo della Libertà ( PdL ), with a subsequent merger to a large collection party option. The An incoming only in the north of the Northern League went - without direct participation in the PdL - this is an optional strategic alliance ( a list of connection) a. No agreement could Berlusconi, however, achieve the UDC Pier Ferdinando Casini, which formed a joint list of the political center to the end of January split from her Rosa Bianca. On the side of the center-left camp, the four largest parties of the radical left closed in the collection list La Sinistra - L' Arcobaleno under the communist parliamentary speaker Fausto Bertinotti as the leading candidate together while Veltroni's PD was able to win two smaller partners: The Radicali Italiani participated with their candidate on the list of PD, and with Antonio Di Pietro IdV could form an alliance (mini - coalizione ) to be negotiated. Some small parties like the PS, La Destra, the UDpC and Others competed without lists or allies and risked thereby to fail because of the restrictive clauses ( 4% to the House of Representatives, 8% to the Senate ).
Pier Ferdinando Casini (UDC )
Walter Veltroni (PD )
Bertinotti (PRC)
Schedule
- February 6, 2008: Dissolution of the houses of parliament by President Napolitano
- 29 February to 2 March 2008: Presentation of party and alliance symbols
- 9 to 10 March 2008: presentation of lists of candidates
- From March 29, 2008: prohibition of publication of opinion polls
- From 12 April 2008: prohibition of campaign events ( " Silenzio elettorale " )
- 13 to 14 April 2008: Parliamentary elections
- April 29, 2008: Inaugural meeting of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate
Alliances, lists and parties
Alliances ( list connections)
Lists
Individual parties
Surveys
Only a few months ago Prodi's resignation, the center-right camp to Silvio Berlusconi in favor of the voters was ahead: According to the opinion research institute IPSO it had after the outbreak of the government crisis with approximately 56% of the vote ahead 10-15 % before Prodi's center - left coalition ( at 43-44 %). Subsequent surveys of IPR marketing however, it became a gradual reduction of the distance to 8% identify (52.5% center-right against 44.5 % in the mid - left ), which is primarily concerned with the " effetto Veltroni ," the willingness of the popular Walter Veltroni has been declared a top duel with Berlusconi. A study published on 3 March 2008 survey of the same institution, which took into account the latest lists and alliance formation, came to the following conclusion: PdL -LN - MpA: 43% ( equivalent to 38 % 4.5 % 0.5 % ), PD - IdV: 36 % (equivalent to 32 % 4%), Sinistra Arcobaleno - 7.5%, UDC: 7 %, La Destra: 2.5%, PS 1.5%.
-: PdL -LN - MpA: 46%, PD 43.3 IdV: According to the latest polls before general publication ban on forecasts ( as of 29 March 2008), the following picture emerged from 35.5 to 39.1 %, Sinistra Arcobaleno -: 6.0 to 7.8 %, UDC: 5.1 to 7.7 %, La Destra: 2.0 - 4.0 %, hP: 0.7 to 2.3 %, Other: 0 5 - 3.4%.
Results
On 13 April 2008, the turnout was to 22 clock according to official figures 62.728 %, which is lower compared to 2006 - then it was at the same time 66.643 %. The polling stations closed on 14 April by 15 clock. Overall, the turnout was on both days in the elections to the Chamber of Deputies 80.456 % and 80.507 % in the Senate elections, representing a decrease of approximately 3 %.
LN - - According to the preliminary results Berlusconi's electoral coalition has PdL IdV clearly won in the Senate by a margin of 9.3% ( 47.3 % versus 38.0 %) and in the Chamber of Deputies with 9 - MpA in both chambers over Veltroni's PD, 2% lead ( 46.8 % versus 37.6 %). Lost has therefore mainly Bertinotti La Sinistra - L' Arcobaleno who misses with only 3.1 / 3.2 % of the re-entry into both chambers, while the Christian Democrat UDC with 5.6 / 5.7 % a place in the Chamber of Deputies and in Sicily and in the Senate ( with there 8.7%) creates. Surprisingly strong has gained particular Berlusconi's allies in the Northern Italian regions, the Northern League, which came to the nation's 8.3 / 8.1 % of the votes and was thus almost double their earnings ( 2006: 4.6 / 4.5%).
Walter Veltroni has Berlusconi phone congratulates on his election victory and his own defeat publicly acknowledged.
Due to the ongoing investigation by the prosecutors in Reggio Calabria and Rome on suspicion of election fraud to 50,000 ballots of living in South America Italians delayed the counting of the votes of Italians abroad, and thus the official announcement of the final result. In the fraud scandal of the Forza Italia senator Marcello Dell'Utri and a clan of the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta allegedly involved.
Chamber of Deputies
Senate
Overseas Constituency Europe: Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Against the national trend chose the Italians abroad constituency Europe mostly for the Democratic Party. The pan-European turnout was low 35.407 %. In Germany, the Popolo della Libertà could turn retract a potential advantage. The following tables list only those parties are recorded which have received mandates in the constituency Europe.