Credit:Flag courtesy of ITA’s Flags of All Countries used with permission.

Election Date: April 10, 2006

At stake: Chamber of Deputies, Senate

Background

After the Allied armies invaded Sicily, King Victor Emmanuel III ordered Benito Mussolini jailed, and signed an armistice in 1943. Mussolini, who had commanded Italy into World War II on the side of Nazi Germany, was executed by members of the Italian resistance.

In 1946, Italian citizens voted to replace the monarchy with a republican government. Among its first forays into international relations, the new government was one of the original six signatories of the 1951 Paris Treaty, which paved the way for European integration.

For most of its post-war history, Italy has supported initiatives toward greater cooperation—particularly economic—with other countries. Italy was one of the founding members of the European Economic Community in 1957.

From the 1950s to the 1990s, the political left had a profound success in Italy. The Italian Socialist Party and the Communist Party were both prominent entities, though it was not until 1983 that Bettino Craxi became the country's first Socialist prime minister since the war. Craxi would go on to lead the country into the G-7 as one of the world's major industrialized democracies.

In 1992, prominent members of the government were charged with allegations of spectacular corruption and ties with organized crime. A bribery scandal forced the resignation of Craxi as leader of the Socialists, and he fled the country to escape arrest.

Silvio Berlusconi—the wealthiest man in Italy—established the Forwards Italy (Forza Italia) party, and his coalition won the 1994 election on an anti-corruption platform. His critics charged that Berlusconi's ownership of three major television networks gave him an insuperable advantage over his political opponents.

By year's end, however, Forza Italia's coalition collapsed and Berlusconi resigned. Different alliances dominated the Italian political arena until 2001, when the Berlusconi-led House of Freedom (Casa) elected 368 lawmakers to the 630-seat Chamber of Deputies—the largest majority for an Italian government since World War II.

In 2003, Italy committed more than 2,000 soldiers to the war in Iraq—the third largest contingent of the United States-led coalition. Berlusconi's second tenure as prime minister is the longest since Italy became a republic.

Throughout his political career, Berlusconi has been dogged by allegations that he uses his financial resources to consolidate his public powers and exerts political influence to protect his business interests. He stirred both domestic and international outrage when he pushed through legislation that granted immunity to himself as prime minister.

2006 Chamber of Deputies, Senate Election

In June 2005, the centre-left Union (Unione) agreed to choose its leader and prospective candidate for prime minister in a primary ballot.

In September, foreign minister Gianfranco Fini ruled out a direct challenge, saying, "After governing for four years as deputy prime minister, I don't want to enter into a competition with the prime minister." Berlusconi said he would be willing to face the electorate in a primary, declaring, "I'm not afraid of anyone. I think we have to all row together because we're on the same boat. I'm convinced this will happen and I hope it happens right away."

On Oct. 13, the Chamber of Deputies voted 323-6 to enact changes to electoral regulations. Most lawmakers from centre-left parties decided not to take part. The legislation—which is expected to become official after a Senate review in November—abolishes the existing electoral system and allocates all lower house seats through proportional representation with three different thresholds: two per cent for parties running within a coalition, four per cent for unaligned parties, and 10 per cent for coalitions.

On Oct. 16, former president of the European Commission Romano Prodi won the Union primary election with more than 70 per cent of all cast ballots.

In an interview broadcast on Oct. 31 in La7, Berlusconi said he initially opposed military action against Saddam Hussein's regime, saying, "I have never been convinced war was the best way to succeed in making a country democratic and extract it from a bloody dictatorship. (...) I tried on several occasions to convince the American president not to wage war."

Prodi expressed surprise at the prime minister's comments, saying, "What's going on? Has (Berlusconi) finally realized the war was wrong? Well, let him say so. He told Bush? Well, it means he doesn't count for anything at all."

On Nov. 5, Prodi vowed to boost public housing and deal with inequalities in the suburbs of Italian cities, saying, "Italian outskirts are real human tragedies. There are also very bad life conditions in cities where only Italian citizens live."

On Nov. 10, Berlusconi expressed satisfaction with the current state of affairs in Italy, saying, "Wealth is widespread, many regions are at the cutting edge, 81 per cent of all families own a house, and we are the first country for number of mobile phones, televisions and cars."

Polls released in November by Eurisko and IPR Marketing gave the centre-left Union a 5.5-point and an eight-point advantage respectively over the centre-right House of Freedom.

In December, prosecutors in Milan placed Berlusconi under investigation. According to the prosecutors, the current prime minister may have paid $600,000 U.S. to British lawyer David Mills in 1997 to persuade him to provide false testimony in two of Berlusconi's trials.

On Jan. 23, 2006, Berlusconi declared on television that the election should be postponed until May, unless parliamentarians stayed in session for an additional two weeks after the current legislative period expires on Jan. 29.

On Jan. 24, Union of Christian and Centre-Democrats (UDC) leader Lorenzo Casa rejected Berlusconi's proposal, declaring, "He can say what he wants, but we don't like it. For the UDC, no election date exists other than April 9."

Some centre-left politicians have criticized the plan, claiming Berlusconi seeks to pass a bill that would prohibit prosecutors from asking appeals courts to challenge the acquittal verdicts of lower courts. The legislation could be used to help Berlusconi in a pending corruption trial.

Forza Italia member Isabella Bertolini accused the opposition of "knowing nothing except how to insult the premier, see non-existent plots and cook up absurd conspiracies."

On Jan. 20, Prodi said that the news broadcasts in the RAI, Mediaset and La7 television stations featured stories about Berlusconi for 186 minutes during the first 15 days of January, while only eight minutes were used to cover the Union leader's activities.

In late January, Berlusconi has suggested a "vast corruption scandal" involving the DS party. DS leader Piero Fassino dismissed Berlusconi's allegations, and called them "the deliriousness of a desperate man who is about to lose the election and does not know how to avoid defeat."

Polls released in early February by SWG, IPR and Ekma placed the Union ahead, with 51.2 per cent, 52.2 per cent, and 53.6 per cent of the vote respectively.

On Feb. 3, Berlusconi accused Italian pollsters of bias, and said a survey he commissioned himself would show the House of Freedom on top, adding, "Within 15 days, we will have the results. It will be the true snapshot of what Italians think, of what happens when I speak to the people."

The Forza Italia-commissioned poll by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates gave the House of Freedom 48.4 per cent, and 48.2 per cent to the Union. Prodi dismissed the survey, declaring, "The credibility of the study has already been put into question by many experts from Italy, America and other countries. I'm calm. The situation is still in our favour." In mid-February, voting intention studies released by SWG, TNS abacus and IPR Marketing placed the centre-left alliance ahead, with at least 51 per cent.

On Feb. 17, Berlusconi declared, "I have the deeply felt and absolute conviction that Italians do not want a left-wing government that should plunge us towards a bad movie we have already seen."

On Feb. 18, government reforms minister Roberto Calderoli—a member of the Northern League (LN)—submitted his resignation after his decision to wear a t-shirt featuring cartoons of Muslim prophet Mohammed was blamed for a violent demonstration in Libya. Berlusconi expressed his "deepest condolences for the tragic events" in the Libyan city of Benghazi, where a mob set fire to the Italian consulate. At least 11 people lost their lives during the protest and the subsequent police action.

On Mar. 2, Prodi dismissed the suggestion of a joint government with Berlusconi, saying, "There is no possibility of a great coalition, as it happened in Germany, because this is a time for clarification. We must see if the House of Freedom has governed well or badly."

On Mar. 5, foreign minister and National Alliance (AN) member Gianfranco Fini criticized Prodi's tax proposals, declaring, "If he claims he can reduce taxation by 5 percentage points, he lies, and he knows he is lying."

February polls by SWG, IPR Marketing and TNS abacus gave the Union the support of at least 51 per cent of respondents, with the House of Freedom receiving less than 48 per cent.

In early March, Milan prosecutors said Berlusconi might go on trial on Apr. 11 on bribery and corruption charges pertaining to his business dealings before he became a politician. Forza Italia coordinator Sandro Boni dismissed the announcement, declaring, "Once again, and just before the elections, certain lawyers are voluntarily giving up the search for truth to pursue political goals."

Voting intention polls conducted in early March by IPR Marketing, Lorien Consulting srl, TNS abacus and SWG put the Union in first place, while surveys by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates and Euromedia Research gave a slight advantage to the House of Freedom.

Commenting on the surveys, Berlusconi said, "The difference is minimal, but the (Euromedia) poll shows a trend in our favour. The other polls are wrong, either for political reasons or because they are carried out in a poor fashion." DS member Luciano Violante dismissed the studies that place the House of Freedom in first place, saying, "Do they come from the Ukraine?"

On Mar. 18, Berlusconi criticized some media outlets during a speech at the assembly of employers' lobby Confindustria, declaring, "Let's open our eyes. We can't be overcome by the pessimism preached by the newspapers everyday to prevent my government from being re-elected."

Two Berlusconi allies criticized the prime minister's performance during a televised debate against Prodi held on Mar. 21. Pier Ferdinando Casini of the Union of Christian and Centre-Democrats (UDC) described the televised meeting as "a missed opportunity." National Alliance (AN) leader Fini declared, "(Berlusconi) gave the impression that all was well, as if he wanted to get top marks. That was excessive because many voters who are still undecided know that society still has many problems."

On Mar. 25, a blackout period for the release of voting intention polls came into effect. The surveys published in late March by SWG, Ekma, IPR and TNS all gave the Union at least 51.5 per cent of the vote, with the House of Freedom garnering a high of 48 per cent.

As part of his campaign, Berlusconi sent a 161-page magazine to each home in Italy, in which the accomplishments of his mandate were explained. U2 singer and activist Bono complained about the use of his picture in the publication.

On Apr. 3, Berlusconi and Prodi met in the final debate. Berlusconi questioned Prodi's alliance with "communists" and said the Union would seek to "hang Italians out to dry with taxes." The prime minister also announced a plan to scrap the tax on the first home (ICI) and called the Union contender "a useful idiot." Prodi likened Berlusconi to a "stumbling drunk holding on to the lamp post."

On Apr. 4, Berlusconi expressed confidence in a victory, declaring, "I have too much respect for the intelligence of Italians to believe that there are so many coglioni around to vote against their best interest." The word coglioni can be literally translated as testicles, but is often used as a vulgar epithet to denote stupidity.

Prodi called on his supporters to remain "calm, and display a proper and peaceful attitude." Italy of Values leader Antonio di Pietro—who is a part of the Union—issued a press release which read: "Better to be coglioni than to be Berlusconi."

Voting took place on Apr. 9 and Apr. 10. Prodi voted in Bologna on the first day, declaring, "I slept very well last night, and today it's sunny and people are voting calmly. I hope that everything goes as steadily and as serenely as possible." Berlusconi appeared in a Milan polling station with his mother, and told her, "Make a cross on the symbol of Forza Italia."

On Apr. 11, Prodi claimed victory even though the latest results showed that his coalition claimed just 49.80 per cent of the ballots cast.  Berlusconi, whose bloc garnered 49.73 per cent of the votes, understandably refused to concede and in fact demanded a recount. With a reported turnout of 83.6 per cent of the 47 million eligible voters, many media outlets in Italy have portrayed the results as having split the country. However, under a new election law passed by Berlusconi while he was in office, the winning bloc, regardless of the margin of victory, is allocated 340 seats in the 630-member lower legislative chamber while the runners-up get 277.

On Apr. 14, the number of disputed ballots dropped from 80,000 to 5,200, virtually assuring a victory for the Union. Prodi declared, "The match is over. Now let's move on."

On Apr. 22, an appeals court confirmed the Union's electoral victory. Berlusconi ruled out conceding, and declared, "I haven't called Prodi and I am not planning to do so. Why should I wish his government a good luck? It would be against the interest of the country."

On May 2, Berlusconi officially stepped down after a final cabinet meeting. Prodi, declared, "My objective is to be ready any time the president calls."

Under the terms of the Italian constitution, the president gives the mandate for the formation of the government. Current head of state Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, whose seven-year term comes to an end in mid-May, has said he will allow his successor to perform this task.

On May 14, Giorgio Napolitano became Italy's president. Napolitano is the first former communist to serve in the office.

On May 16, Prodi was formally appointed as prime minister. The next day, his cabinet was sworn in at the presidential office. Prodi declared, "This will not be a conflictive team but one which can work together. It will last the entire legislature. I'm very satisfied." Former prime minister Massimo D'Alema will serve as foreign minister.

Political Players

Results of Last Election:

Chamber of Deputies - Apr. 9 and Apr. 10, 2006

Senate - Apr. 9 and Apr. 10, 2006

Archive Search

Search the Angus Reid Global Monitor Election Tracker archive.