At stake in this election:

• 315 seats in the Senate (Senato della Repubblica)

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
• Party: Olive Tree / L'Ulivo**
  • Leader: Francesco RUTELLI
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 125
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 157
• Party: Communist Refoundation Party (PRC)
  • Leader: Fausto BERTINOTTI
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 3
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 10
• Party: Italy of Values / Lista di Pietro
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 1
  • Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
• Party: European Democracy
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 2
  • Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
• Party: Other Parties
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 7
  • Seats won in last Senate 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: 56,974,100 (2001)
• Registered Voters: 49,066,417 (May 2000)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 29,329,420 (2001)

·         Is Italy a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Italy ratified CEDAW: Yes (10 June 1985)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 62 (Chamber of Deputies); 25 (Senate) (following the 2001 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 27 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Italy a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Italy ratified CRPD: Yes (15 May 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 8,546,115 (est.)