At stake in this election:

• 315 seats in the Senate (Senato della Repubblica)

​Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Giorgio NAPOLITANO
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Romano PRODI
• Assembly: Italy has a bicameral Parliament (Parlamento) consisting of the Senate (Senato della Repubblica) with 322 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati) with 630 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by parliament to serve a 7-year term.
• In the Senate (Senato della Repubblica), 315 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve 5-year terms, 5 members are elected by the President and 2 members are filled ex officio*. In the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati) 630 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system to serve 5-year terms.**

* Party coalitions need to obtain at least 20% of the valid votes to gain seats in the Senate. Parties within a coalition must receive at least 3% of the vote to win seats. Parties running independent of any coalitions must obtain 8% of the valid votes.

** The winning coalition receives 54% of chamber seats. Remaining seats are allocated by proportion. Party coalitions need to obtain at least 10% of the valid votes to gain seats in the Chamber. Parties within a coalition must receive at least 2% of the vote to win seats. Parties running independent of any coalitions must obtain 4% of the valid votes.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: People of Freedom (centre-right coalition) / Il Popolo della Libertá (PDL)*
  • Leader: Silvio BERLUSCONI
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 171
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 156
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 344
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 281
• Party: Democratic Party (centre-left coalition) / Partitio Democratico (PD)**
  • Leader: Walter VELTRONI
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 132
  • Seats won in last Senate election: 158
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 246
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: 348
• Party: Union of the Center / Unione de Centro***
  • Leader: Pier Ferdinando CASINI
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 3
  • Seats won in last Senate election: N/A
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Deputies election: 36
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Deputies election: N/A

* Coalition includes the People of Freedom party [merger of Go Italy (Forza Italia) and the National Alliance (Alleanza Nazionale)], the Northern League (Lega Nord), and Movement for Autonomy

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 58,826,731 (2008)
• Registered Voters: 47,126,326 (2008)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 30,240,450 (2008)

·         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: 134 (Chamber of Deputies); 58 (Senate) (following the 2008 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: 8,824,009 (est.)