(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most people in Italy back the governing coalition of right-leaning parties, according to a poll by Digis. 51.6 per cent of respondents would vote for 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) – Most people in Italy back the governing coalition of right-leaning parties, according to a poll by Digis. 51.6 per cent of respondents would vote for 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 33 per cent. Support is lower for the Union of the Centre, the Communist Refoundation Party (PRC), and The Right (La Destra).
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.
In December 2005, prosecutors in Milan placed Berlusconi under investigation. According to the prosecutors, Berlusconi may have paid $600,000 U.S. to British corporate lawyer David Mills in 1997 to persuade him to provide false testimony in two of Berlusconi’s trials.
On Feb. 17, a Milan court found Mills guilty of taking a bribe in exchange for lying in court to protect Berlusconi in a corruption case. Mills—who was sentenced to four and a half years in prison—said he will appeal the ruling.
The prime minister is not facing trial as he is shielded by an immunity law passed by the Italian Parliament last year which protects him from prosecution until the end of his term in 2013. Mills said after the verdict: "I’m innocent. (…) This is a highly political case."
Polling Data
If a new election to the Chamber of Deputies took place, which party would you vote for?
|
Italian People of Freedom Party (PdL) / |
51.6% |
|
Democratic Party (PD) / |
33.0% |
|
Union of the Centre |
6.5% |
|
Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) |
3.2% |
|
The Right (La Destra) |
1.5% |
|
Other centre-left parties |
2.5% |
|
Other parties |
1.7% |
Source: Digis
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 Italian adults, conducted from Feb. 20 to Feb. 22, 2009. No margin of error was provided.
