(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The governing coalition of right-leaning parties remains ahead in Italy, according to a poll by Demos&Pi. 46.8 per cent of respondents would support the Italian People of Freedom Party (PdL), the Northern League (LN), or the Movement for Autonomy (MPA) in the next election to the Chamber of Deputies.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The governing coalition of right-leaning parties remains ahead in Italy, according to a poll by Demos&Pi. 46.8 per cent of respondents would support the Italian People of Freedom Party (PdL), the Northern League (LN), or the Movement for Autonomy (MPA) in the next election to the Chamber of Deputies.
The left-leaning alliance encompassing the Democratic Party (PD) and Italy of Values (Lista di Pietro) is second with 36.8 per cent. Support is lower for the Union of the Centre and the Left Rainbow (SA).
Italian voters renewed the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate in April 2008. Final results gave Silvio Berlusconi’s right-wing coalition 344 seats in the lower house, and 174 seats in the upper house. The victory put an end to the government of the centre-left Union (Unione), headed by Romano Prodi.
Berlusconi was sworn in as the country’s new head of government in May 2008. He had previously served as prime minister from May 1994 to January 1995, and from June 2001 to May 2006.
On Dec. 22, Berlusconi said he would be open to an American-style presidential election, saying, "A nationwide election would be the constitutional formula which would bring the best results for the country."
In Italy, the president is elected to a seven-year term in a joint session of Parliament—both the 630-member Chamber of Deputies and the 232-member Senate of the Republic—which also includes three representatives from each Italian region, with the exception of the Aosta Valley, which has only one voter. The president is regarded as a mostly ceremonial dignitary in Italy.
Polling Data
If the national political election for the Chamber of Deputies were held today, which party would you vote for?
|
Italian People of Freedom Party (PdL) / |
46.8% |
|
Democratic Party (PD) / |
36.8% |
|
Union of the Centre |
5.6% |
|
Left Rainbow (SA) |
4.3% |
|
Other parties |
5.2% |
Source: Demos&Pi
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,536 Italian adults, conducted from Dec. 15 to Dec. 19, 2008. No margin of error was provided.
