Italian general election, 2001
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Legislative election results map. Azure denotes provinces with a Forza Italia plurality, Red denotes those with a Democrats of the Left plurality, Green denotes those with a Daisy plurality, Gray denotes those with a Regionalist plurality. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A national general election was held in Italy on 13 May 2001 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. The 14th Parliament of the Italian republic was chosen.
The election was won by the centre-right coalition House of Freedoms led by Silvio Berlusconi, defeating Francesco Rutelli, former Mayor of Rome, and Prime Ministerial candidate of the centre-left coalition The Olive Tree, and rising back to power after Berlusconi's first victory, in the 1994 general election.
Electoral system
The intricate electoral system, called scorporo, provided 75% of the seats on the Chamber of Deputies (the Lower House) as elected by first-past-the-post system, whereas the remaining 25% was assigned on a proportional way with a minimum threshold of 4%.
The method used for the Senate was even more complicated: 75% of seats by uninominal method, and 25% by a special proportional method that actually assigned the remaining seats to minority parties. Formally these were examples of additional member systems.
General election
Campaign
For this election Berlusconi again ran as leader of the centre-right coalition the House of Freedoms (Italian: La Casa delle Libertà), which included the Union of Christian and Centre Democrats, the Lega Nord, the National Alliance and other parties.
On the television interviews programme Porta a Porta, during the last days of the electoral campaign, Berlusconi created a powerful impression on the public by undertaking to sign a so-called Contratto con gli Italiani (English: Contract with the Italians), an idea copied outright by his advisor Luigi Crespi from the Newt Gingrich's Contract with America introduced six weeks before the 1994 US Congressional election,[1] which was widely considered to be a creative masterstroke in his 2001 campaign bid for prime ministership. In this solemn agreement, Berlusconi claimed his commitment on improving several aspects of the Italian economy and life. Firstly, he undertook to simplify the complex tax system by introducing just two tax rates (33% for those earning over 100,000 euros, and 23% for anyone earning less than that figure: anyone earning less than 11,000 euros a year would not be taxed); secondly, he promised to halve the unemployment rate; thirdly, he undertook to finance and develop a massive new public works programme. Fourthly, he promised to raise the minimum monthly pension rate to 516 euros; and fifthly, he would suppress the crime wave by introducing police officers to patrol all local zones and areas in Italy's major cities.[2] Berlusconi undertook to refrain from putting himself up for re-election in 2006 if he failed to honour at least four of these five promises.
Parties and leaders
Party | Ideology | Leader | |
---|---|---|---|
Forza Italia (FI) | Liberal conservatism | Silvio Berlusconi | |
Democrats of the Left (DS) | Social democracy | Walter Veltroni | |
Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (DL) | Centrism | Francesco Rutelli | |
National Alliance (AN) | Conservatism | Gianfranco Fini | |
Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) | Communism | Fausto Bertinotti | |
Lega Nord (LN) | Regionalism | Umberto Bossi | |
Italy of Values (IdV) | Populism | Antonio Di Pietro | |
Whiteflower (CCD-CDU) | Christian democracy | Pier Ferdinando Casini | |
European Democracy (DE) | Christian democracy | Sergio D'Antoni | |
Bonino List (LB) | Liberalism | Emma Bonino | |
The Sunflower (FdV-SDI) | Green politics/Social democracy | Enrico Boselli | |
Party of Italian Communists (PdCI) | Communism | Oliviero Diliberto |
Coalitions and electoral list
Political force or alliance | Constituent lists | Leader | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
(Casa delle Libertà) |
Forward Italy (Forza Italia) | | ||
National Alliance (Alleanza Nazionale) | ||||
Northern League (Lega Nord) | ||||
Christian Democratic Centre (Centro Cristiano Democratico) | ||||
United Christian Democrats (Cristiani Democratici Uniti) | ||||
New Italian Socialist Party (Nuovo Partito Socialista Italiano) | ||||
Italian Republican Party (Partito Repubblicano Italiano) | ||||
(L'Ulivo) |
Democrats of the Left (Democratici della Sinistra) | | ||
Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (La Margherita) | ||||
The Sunflower (Il Girasole) | ||||
Party of Italian Communists (Partito dei Comunisti Italiani) | ||||
(Partito della Rifondazione Comunista) |
Communist Refoundation Party (Partito della Rifondazione Comunista) | | ||
(Italia dei Valori) |
Italy of Values (Italia dei Valori) | | ||
(Democrazia Europea) |
European Democracy (Democrazia Europea) | | ||
(Lista Bonino) |
Bonino List (Lista Bonino) | |
Main leaders
Coalition | Portrait | Name | Most recent position | |
---|---|---|---|---|
House of Freedoms | ![]() |
Silvio Berlusconi | Prime Minister of Italy (1994–1995) President of Forza Italia (1994–incumbent) | |
The Olive Tree | ![]() |
Francesco Rutelli | Mayor of Rome (1993–2001) Leader of the Olive Tree (2000–incumbent) | |
Communist Refoundation Party | ![]() |
Fausto Bertinotti | Secretary of the Communist Refoundation Party (1993–incumbent) | |
Italy of Values | |
Antonio Di Pietro | President of Italy of Values (1998–incumbent) | |
European Democracy | ![]() |
Sergio D'Antoni | General Secretary of CISL (1991–2000) | |
Bonino List | ![]() |
Emma Bonino | European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection (1995–1999) |
Results
Chamber of Deputies
Proportional
In 2001 the proportional list exhausted before all the deputies - which the winning party was entitled to - were declared elected.[3]
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Party | % | Votes | Seats | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forza Italia | 29.43 | 10,923,431 | 62 | ||
Democrats of the Left | 16.57 | 6,151,154 | 31 | ||
Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy | 14.52 | 5,391,827 | 27 | ||
National Alliance | 12.02 | 4,463,205 | 24 | ||
Communist Refoundation Party | 5.03 | 1,868,659 | 11 | ||
Lega Nord | 3.94 | 1,464,301 | 0 | ||
Italy of Values | 3.89 | 1,443,725 | 0 | ||
White Flower (CCD–CDU) | 3.22 | 1,194,040 | 0 | ||
European Democracy | 2.39 | 888,269 | 0 | ||
Bonino List | 2.24 | 832,213 | 0 | ||
The Sunflower (FdV–SDI) | 2.17 | 805,340 | 0 | ||
Party of Italian Communists | 1.67 | 620,859 | 0 | ||
New Italian Socialist Party | 0.95 | 353,269 | 0 | ||
South Tyrolean People's Party | 0.54 | 200,059 | 0 | ||
Tricolour Flame | 0.39 | 143,963 | 0 | ||
Veneto Front League | 0.20 | 74,353 | 0 | ||
Pensioners' Party | 0.18 | 68,349 | 0 | ||
Sardinian Action Party–Sardinia Nation | 0.09 | 34,412 | 0 | ||
New Country | 0.09 | 34,193 | 0 | ||
Abolizione Scorporo | 0.07 | 26,917 | 0 | ||
Southern Action League | 0.06 | 23,779 | 0 | ||
National Social Front | 0.06 | 22,985 | 0 | ||
Greens Greens | 0.05 | 18,262 | 0 | ||
New Force | 0.04 | 13,622 | 0 | ||
Amadu List | 0.03 | 11,517 | 0 | ||
European Republicans | 0.02 | 7,997 | 0 | ||
We Sicilians | 0.02 | 7,637 | 0 | ||
Movement of Freedoms | 0.02 | 6,754 | 0 | ||
Free and Strong | 0.02 | 6,722 | 0 | ||
Autonomist Socialists | 0.02 | 6,492 | 0 | ||
Stop! | 0.02 | 6,332 | 0 | ||
Communism | 0.01 | 5,244 | 0 | ||
Third Pole for Autonomy | 0.01 | 2,915 | 0 | ||
Total | 100.00 | 37,122,776 | 155 |
First-past-the-post
Parties and coalitions | % | Votes | Seats | |
---|---|---|---|---|
House of Freedoms | 45.57 | 16,915,513 | 282 | |
The Olive Tree | 43.15 | 16,019,388 | 183 | |
Italy of Values | 4.01 | 1,487,287 | 0 | |
European Democracy | 3.53 | 1,310,119 | 0 | |
Bonino List | 1.23 | 457,117 | 0 | |
South Tyrolean People's Party–The Olive Tree | 0.51 | 190,556 | 5 | |
South Tyrolean People's Party | 0.47 | 173,735 | 3 | |
Veneto Front League | 0.47 | 173,618 | 0 | |
Tricolour Flame | 0.33 | 121,527 | 0 | |
With Illy for Trieste | 0.21 | 78,284 | 1 | |
Sardinian Action Party–Sardinia Nation | 0.11 | 40,692 | 0 | |
Others | 0.79 | 266,292 | 1 | |
Total | 100.00 | 37,259,705 | 475 |
Overall result
Senate of the Republic
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Parties and coalitions | % | Votes | Seats | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
House of Freedoms | 42.53 | 14,406,519 | 176 | ||
The Olive Tree | 38.70 | 13,106,860 | 125 | ||
Communist Refoundation Party | 5.04 | 1,708,707 | 4 | ||
Italy of Values | 3.37 | 1,140,489 | 1 | ||
European Democracy | 3.15 | 1,066,908 | 2 | ||
Bonino List | 2.00 | 677,725 | 0 | ||
Tricolour Flame | 1.00 | 340,221 | 0 | ||
League for Autonomy–Lombard Alliance–Pensioners League | 0.91 | 308,559 | 1 | ||
South Tyrolean People's Party–The Olive Tree | 0.52 | 175,635 | 3 | ||
Veneto Front League | 0.41 | 138,134 | 0 | ||
South Tyrolean People's Party | 0.37 | 126,177 | 2 | ||
Va' pensiero Padania | 0.35 | 119,058 | 0 | ||
National Social Front | 0.29 | 98,132 | 0 | ||
European Democracy–Autonomist Socialists | 0.23 | 79,002 | 0 | ||
Pensioners' Party | 0.23 | 78,572 | 0 | ||
New Force | 0.12 | 39,545 | 0 | ||
Greens Greens | 0.11 | 35,743 | 0 | ||
Sardinian Action Party–Sardinia Nation | 0.10 | 32,822 | 0 | ||
Aosta Valley coalition | 0.10 | 32,429 | 0 | ||
Others | 0.46 | 160,025 | 0 | ||
Total | 100.00 | 33,871,262 | 315 |
Overall result
Leaders' races
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
House of Freedoms | Silvio Berlusconi | 42,098 | 53.6 | ||
The Olive Tree | Giovanni Rivera | 28,651 | 36.5 | ||
Radicals | Benedetto Della Vedova | 4,874 | 6.21 | ||
Italy of Values | Adriano Ciccioni | 2,835 | 3.6 | ||
Majority | 13,447 | 17.1 | |||
Turnout | 81,412 | 80.4 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Olive Tree | Francesco Rutelli | 36,457 | 56.7 | ||
House of Freedoms | Elio Vito | 25,463 | 39.6 | ||
Italy of Values | Pietro Tagliatesta | 2,348 | 3.6 | ||
Majority | 10,994 | 17.1 | |||
Turnout | 66,479 | 77.4 | |||
References
- ↑ Gingrich, Newt; Armey, Dick (1994). Contract With America: The Bold Plan.
- ↑ Ricolfi, Luca (2005). Dossier Italia: a che punto è il 'contratto con gli italiani. Il mulino.
- ↑ Buonomo, Giampiero (2001). "Cercansi candidati per 14 seggi. La speranza della (lista) civetta". Diritto&Giustizia edizione online. – via Questia (subscription required)
External links
- Repubblica.it: About 2001 Election (in Italian)
- Corriere della Sera: About 2001 Election (in Italian)
- CNN.com: About 2001 Election
- Minister of Internal Affairs of Italy: 2001 Election Results, Chamber of Deputies (in Italian)
- Minister of Internal Affairs of Italy: 2001 Election Results, Senate of the Republic (in Italian)