(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Half of Italians support the governing right-wing parties, according to a poll by Digis. 50.7 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, practically unchanged since late July.

The left-leaning alliance encompassing the Democratic Party (PD) and Italy of Values (Lista di Pietro) is second with 32.7 per cent. Support is lower for the Union of the Centre, the Left Rainbow (SA), The Right (La Destra), and the Socialist Party (PS).

Italian voters renewed the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate in April. Final results gave 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. He had previously served as prime minister from May 1994 to January 1995, and from June 2001 to May 2006.

Last month, Barbara Berlusconi—the prime minister’s 24-year-old daughter—said that she believes Italy must address "the conflict-of-interest question", referring to her father’s participation in both politics and the private media sector at the same time. Ms. Berlusconi added: "Voting has shown that Italians do not see this as necessary. (...) There is a need but no demand."

Polling Data

If a new election to the Chamber of Deputies took place, which party would you vote for?

Source: Digis
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 Italian adults, conducted on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20, 2008. No margin of error was provided.

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