A Slap across the wrist for Berlusconi
international |
politics / elections |
news report 
Monday June 14, 2004 21:47
by hs - sp (pc)
Italian election results
Not a major defeat for the centre right, but a good vote for communists and greens.
A Slap across the wrist for Berlusconi
The Party of Silvio Berlusconi took a beating in yesterdays european and provincial elections going from 25.2% in the euro elections 1999 to about 22% yesterday. But if compared to it's vote in the last national election it fell by more than 5% a disaster for any party. But as this is Italian politics things aren't quite so straightforward. Berlusconi's government is a four party coalition. It's main partner the ex fascist National Alliance more or less held onto their 12% and the northern nationalist/seperatist Nothern League made a comeback winning 4.4%. (Probably a sympathy due to the recent hospitalisation of it's leader Bossi). While the UDC the revived christain democrat formation won 6%. In Sicily it won as much as 14% of the vote. In all the "house of liberty" coalition took about 44% of the vote. Definitely a drop but nothing like the defeats suffered by other european governments. And after an unpopular war and a number of general strikes the leaders of the coalition will be breathing easy. Obviously Berlusconi's control of private and public media has had an effect and probably the release of the three italian hostages last week played in his favour.
In the provincial elections they fared worse losing Bari, Sardinia and Bologna to the centre left.
On the centre left the new coalition led by the ex communist Democrats of the Left, Uniti per il Ulivo, took 31% This though was below their 33% target and although they are trying to claim they are now the biggest party it is a coalition rather than a party. And it is still a drop from the 32% they took in the last euro election. On the left outside the coalition the Greens did well taking 2.7% as did the Party of Italian Communists who tool 2.3%. And the rifondazione communista made the biggest leap taking 5.7%. Between them making up 10% of the vote.
Rifondzione in the spotlight.
For the next general election the PRC will be in the spotlight because after yesterday it's clear a centre left coalition could win if it includes them. Especially now with their increased vote. (Although the italian communists and the greens stood seperatly from the centre left in this election they will be expected to join for the national elections.)
It puts the party in a difficult position. On the one hand if they don't take part and Berluconi retains power they will have to face a very angry italian working class. On the other hand if they (again) support a government which continues to attack workers rights, pensions and social services they will face serious trouble from their own rank and file and it could even question their reason to exist. After their last entry when the party had little option but to stop supporting the government it led to a substancial split and the return of Berlusconi.
Comments (7 of 7)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7to everyone in the party, your hard work paid off!!!
Well done to all the left wing candidates who polled well.
Well done to Clare Daly, Ruth Coppinger, Michael Murphy and Joan Collins on winning seats.
Serious hard luck to Lisa Maher, Pat Dunne, Gino Kenny, Brid Smith, RBB and Ceiran Perry who came so close and to all those who polled very well and showed that there was room for a radical left voice amidst the SF tide.
I think you forgot Mick Barry, who topped the poll in Cork North Central.
I don't think that the SWPers mention (Smith, Boyd Barrett, don't know about Kenny) were all that close to seats either, although all three polled well.
I was referring to Dublin.
At one stage it looked as if RBB and Kenny might win seats. They finished in the seat places on first prefereneces. I just felt it necessary to mention the other lefts as the SP seem to be backslapping only their own, which is sectarian.
If you are talking about left wing winners outside of Dublin, don't forget the Workers Party won two seats in Waterford City.
FINAL RESULTS IN ITALIAN EURO ELECTIONS
Uniti Nell'Ulvio 31% 25 seats
(centre left coalition led by ex communist Democratic Left and Prodi)
Verdi (greens) 2,5% 2 seats
Communistsi Italiani (PDCI) 2.4% 2 seats
(Split from the PRC after it left the last centre left coalition to remain in the coalition)
Di Pietro (anti corruption) 2.1% 2 seats
AP - UDEUR 1.3% 1 seats
Rifondazione Communista 6.1% 5 seats
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Total Centre Left/Communist 45.5% 37 seats
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Forza Italia (Berlusconi's party) 21% 16 seats
Allenza Nazionale 11.9% 9 seats
(ex fascists led by Fini)
UDC (reformed Christian democrats) 5.9% 5 seats
Lega Nord 5% 4 seats
(Northern nationalists/separatists led by Bossi)
Socilisti Uniti 2% 2 seats
(the remains of the corrupt Craxi led socialist party. A right wing party
who while not in the "house of liberty" coalition now will probably
join for the general election in 2006)
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Total Centre Right 45,4% 36 seats
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OTHER LISTS
Lista Bonnino (radical party) 2.3% 2 seats
(strange but more likely to join a centre left gov.)
Alternative Sociale (Mussolini) 1.2% 1 seat
(Fascist and neo nazi coalition)
Fiamma Tricolore 0.7% 1 seat
(Traditional Fascist party which split from MSI after it formed the national alliance, nasty)
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Notes:
The greens increased their vote by 1% since 1999 and 0.5% since national elections in 2001.
The PDCI gained about 0.3% since 1999 and 0.6% since 2001.
Rifondazione gained 1% as well as an extra seat.
In total the centre left gained 3% since 1991 but only 1% since 2001
Forza Italia dropped 3 points since 1999 but almost 8 points since 2001.
National Alliance lost half a percent since 2001 but gained one third of a percent since the last euro election.
The UDC gained 1% since 1999 and about a half since 2001.
Lega Nord gained half a percent since 2001 but dropped a little compared to 1999.
The Lista Bonnino suffered a disaster losing about 6 points.
The Fascists won two seats, Mussolini taking an impressive 1.3% on the lists first time out. While helping to legitimise neo nazi parties including Forza Nouva. While the "old Fascist" Fiamma Tricolore although winning a seat dropped 0.3% in support. (probably going to la duceina). But it should be remembered Italians vote very differently in euro elections with personalities playing a big role. For example Fiamma Tricolore only took 0.3% in the last national elections in 2001 while 1.2% in the euro elections two years before.
strange comments concerning the italian elections. anyway sorry if i offended anyone just congratulationg friends and comrades, nothing sectarian meant about it and congratulations to everyone else on the left who stood.
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