March 31, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - An alliance of centre-right parties could return to power in Italy next month, according to a poll by Dinamiche. 38.1 per cent of respondents would vote for the Italian People of Freedom Party (PdL) led by former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in the April ballot, practically unchanged since early March.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - An alliance of centre-right parties could return to power in Italy next month, according to a poll by Dinamiche. 38.1 per cent of respondents would vote for the Italian People of Freedom Party (PdL) led by former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in the April ballot, practically unchanged since early March.

The centre-left Democratic Party (PD) is second with 33.3 per cent, followed by the Left Rainbow (SA) with 7.5 per cent, the Union of the Centre with 6.3 per cent, and the Northern League (LN) with 5.5 per cent. Support is lower for Italy of Values (Lista di Pietro), The Right (La Destra), the Socialist Party (PS) and the Movement for Autonomy (MPA).

Italian voters renewed the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate in April 2006. The Union (Unione) of centre-left parties, led by Romano Prodi, secured 348 seats in the lower house and 158 seats in the upper house. The victory put an end to the government of the centre-right House of Freedom (Casa), headed by Berlusconi.

In May 2006, Prodi was formally appointed as prime minister. The Union leader had previously served as head of government from May 1996 to October 1998.

In January 2008, Prodi lost a confidence vote in Parliament and was forced to step down. After Senate president Franco Marini failed in his bid to form a caretaker administration, an early legislative election was scheduled for Apr. 13 and Apr. 14.

In October 2007, Veltroni assembled the PD with several centre-left political organizations. In November, Berlusconi announced the creation of the PdL.

On Mar. 28, Berlusconi said the political crisis that prompted the early ballot has tarnished Italy’s image abroad, saying, "It is difficult to give Italy an international role, which has and is still going through an image and credibility crisis. (...) The rubbish crisis makes us seem like a fourth-world country."

In Italy’s southern region of Campania—which includes the city of Naples—garbage trucks stopped operating in late December, after the city’s landfills were overrun.

Polling Data

If the election were held today, which party would you vote for?

	Mar. 20	Mar. 11
Italian People of Freedom Party (PdL)	38.1%	37.9%
Democratic Party (PD)	33.3%	33.2%
Left Rainbow (SA)	7.5%	7.7%
Union of the Centre	6.3%	6.1%
Northern League (LN)	5.5%	5.6%
Italy of Values (Lista di Pietro)	3.5%	3.7%
The Right (La Destra)	2.0%	2.0%
Socialist Party (PS)	1.3%	1.4%
Movement for Autonomy (MPA)	0.5%	0.4%
Other parties	2.0%	2.0%

Source: Dinamiche
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 2,000 Italian adults, conducted on Mar. 19 and Mar. 20, 2008. No margin of error was provided.