Country: Italy Official Name: Italian Republic Election Type: Parliamentary Date: May 13, 2001 Source for election date

At stake in this election:

• 315 seats in the Senate (Senato della Repubblica)
• 630 seats in the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Massimo D'ALEMA
• Assembly: Italy has a bicameral Parliament (Parlamento) consisting of the Senate (Senato della Repubblica) with 315 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati) with 630 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by an electoral college to serve a 7-year term.
• In the Senate (Senato della Repubblica), 232 members are elected by direct popular vote to serve 5-year terms and 83 members are elected by popular vote via proportional representation to serve 5-year terms*. In the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati), 475 members are elected by direct vote to serve 5-year terms and 155 members are elected by proportional representation to serve 5-year terms.

* In addition, there are a small number of senators-for-life including former presidents of the republic.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Coalition: House of Freedoms / Casa delle Liberta'*
  Leader: Silvio BERLUSCONI
  Seats won in this Senate election: 177
  Seats won in last Senate election: 143
  Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 368
  Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 305
• Party: Olive Tree / L'Ulivo**
  Leader: Francesco RUTELLI
  Seats won in this Senate election: 125
  Seats won in last Senate election: 157
  Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 242
  Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 284
• Party: Communist Refoundation Party (PRC)
  Leader: Fausto BERTINOTTI
  Seats won in this Senate election: 3
  Seats won in last Senate election: 10
  Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 11
  Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 35
• Party: Italy of Values / Lista di Pietro
  Leader: N/A
  Seats won in this Senate election: 1
  Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
  Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 0
  Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: N/A
• Party: European Democracy
  Leader: N/A
  Seats won in this Senate election: 2
  Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
  Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 0
  Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: N/A
• Party: Other Parties
  Leader: N/A
  Seats won in this Senate election: 7
  Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
  Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 9
  Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: N/A

* Coalition includes: Forza Italia, National Alliance, Northern League, Christian Democratic Center, Christian Democratic Union, Socialist
** Coalition includes: Democrats of the Left, Italian People's Party, Democrats, Italian Communists' Party, Italian Renovation, Democratic Union for Europe, Greens, Italian Democratic Socialists
Seats won in the last election do not include seats won by the Italian Communists' Party.

Last Parliamentary election:

• Parliamentary elections last held: April 21, 1996.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 57,634,327 (July 2000 est.)
• Registered Voters: 49,066,417 (May 2000 )

Last Updated on 01/13/2006

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