1992 Italian general election

The 1992 Italian general election was held on 5 and 6 April 1992.[1] They were the first without the traditionally second most important political force in Italian politics, the Italian Communist Party (PCI), which had been disbanded in 1991. Most of its members split between the more democratic-socialist oriented Democratic Party of the Left (PDS), while a minority who did not want to renounce the communist tradition became the Communist Refoundation Party (PRC); however, between them they gained around 4% less than what the already declining PCI had obtained in the 1987 Italian general election, despite PRC absorbing the disbanded Proletarian Democracy (DP).

1992 Italian general election
5–6 April 1992
All 630 seats in the Chamber of Deputies  · 315 seats in the Senate
Registered47,486,964 (C) · 41,053,543 (S)
Turnout41,479,764 (C) · 87.4% (1.4 pp)
35,633,367 (S) · 86.8% (1.5 pp)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Arnaldo Forlani Achille Occhetto Bettino Craxi
Party Christian Democracy Democratic Party of the Left Socialist Party
Leader since 22 February 1989[lower-alpha 1] 21 June 1988[lower-alpha 2] 15 July 1976
Leader's seat Ancona (C) Rome (C) Milan (C)
Seats won 206 (C) / 107 (S) 107 (C) / 66 (S) 92 (C) / 49 (S)
Seat change 46 (C) / 18 (S) 51 (C) / 45 (S) 2 (C) / 5 (S)
Popular vote 11,637,569 (C)
9,088,494 (S)		 6,317,962 (C)
5,682,888 (S)		 5,343,808 (C)
4,523,873 (S)
Percentage 29.7% (C)
27.3% (S)		 16.1% (C)
17.0% (S)		 13.6% (C)
13.6% (S)
Swing 4.6 pp (C)
5.3 pp (S)		 10.5 pp (C)
11.3 pp (S)		 0.7 pp (C)
2.6 pp (S)
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Umberto Bossi Sergio Garavini Gianfranco Fini
Party Northern League Communist Refoundation Social Movement
Leader since 4 December 1989 10 February 1991 6 July 1991[lower-alpha 3]
Leader's seat Milan (C) Rome (C) Rome (C)
Seats won 55 (C) / 25 (S) 35 (C) / 20 (S) 34 (C) / 16 (S)
Seat change 54 (C) / 24 (S) New party 1 (C) / 0 (S)
Popular vote 3,396,012 (C)
2,732,461 (S)		 2,204,641 (C)
2,171,950 (S)		 2,107,037 (C)
2,171,215 (S)
Percentage 8.7% (C)
8.2% (S)		 5.6% (C)
6.5% (S)		 5.4% (C)
6.5% (S)
Swing 8.2 pp (C)
7.8 pp (S)		 New party 0.4 pp (C)
0.0 pp (S)
Results of the election in the Chamber and Senate.
Prime Minister before election

Giulio Andreotti
DC

 Prime Minister after the election

Giuliano Amato
PSI

The other major feature was the sudden rise of the federalist Northern League, which increased its vote from 0.5% of the preceding elections to more than 8%, increasing from a single member both in the Chamber and the Senate to 55 and 25, respectively. The "long wave" (onda lunga) of Bettino Craxi's now centrist-oriented Italian Socialist Party, which in the past elections had been forecast next to overcome PCI, seemed to stop. Christian Democracy and the other traditional government parties, with the exception of the Republicans and the Liberals, also experienced a slight decrease in their vote.

Electoral system

The pure party-list proportional representation had traditionally become the electoral system for the Chamber of Deputies. Italian provinces were united in 32 constituencies, each electing a group of candidates. At constituency level, seats were divided between open lists using the largest remainder method with Imperiali quota. The remaining votes and seats were transferred at national level, where they were divided using the Hare quota, and automatically distributed to best losers into the local lists.

For the Senate, 237 single-seat constituencies were established, even if the assembly had risen to 315 members. The candidates needed a landslide victory of two thirds of votes to be elected, a goal which could be reached only by the German minorities in South Tirol. All remained votes and seats were grouped in party lists and regional constituencies, where a D'Hondt method was used: inside the lists, candidates with the best percentages were elected.

Background
Umberto Bossi at the first Northern League rally in Pontida, 1990

In 1991, the Italian Communist Party (PCI) plit into the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS), led by Achille Occhetto, and the Communist Refoundation Party (PRC), headed by Armando Cossutta. Occhetto, leader of the PCI since 1988, stunned the party faithfully assembled in a working-class section of Bologna with a speech heralding the end of Communism, a move now referred to in Italian politics as the svolta della Bolognina (Bolognina turning point). The collapse of the Communist governments in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe had convinced Occhetto that the era of Eurocommunism was over, and he transformed the PCI into a progressive left-wing party, the PDS. A third of the PCI's former members, led by Cossutta, refused to join the PDS, and founded the Communist Refoundation Party.[2]

On 17 February 1992, judge Antonio Di Pietro had Mario Chiesa, a member of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI), arrested for accepting a bribe from a Milan cleaning firm. The Italian Socialist Party distanced themselves from Chiesa. Bettino Craxi called Chiesa mariuolo, or "villain", a "wild splinter" of the otherwise clean PSI. Upset over this treatment by his former colleagues, Chiesa began to give information about corruption implicating his colleagues. This marked the beginning of the Mani pulite investigation; news of political corruption began spreading in the press.

In February 1991, the Northern League, which was first launched as an upgrade of the Northern Alliance in December 1989, was officially transformed into a party through the merger of various regional parties, notably including Lombard League and Venetian League, under the leadership of Umberto Bossi. These continue to exist as national sections of the federal party, which presents itself in regional and local contests as Northern League–Lombard League, Northern League–Venetian League, Northern League Piedmont, and so on.[3][4][5]

The Northern League exploited resentment against Rome's centralism (with the famous slogan Roma ladrona, which loosely means "Rome big thief") and the Italian government, common in northern Italy, as many northerners felt that the government wasted resources collected mostly from northerners' taxes.[6] Cultural influences from bordering countries in the North and resentment against illegal immigrants were also exploited. The party's electoral successes began roughly at a time when public disillusionment with the established political parties was at its height. The Tangentopoli corruption scandals, which invested most of the established parties, were unveiled from 1992 on.[4][5] Contrarily to what many pundits observed at the beginning of the 1990s, the Northern League became a stable political force and it is by far the oldest party among those represented in the Italian Parliament.

The Northern League's first electoral breakthrough was at the 1990 regional elections, but it was with the 1992 general election that the party emerged as a leading political actor. Having gained 8.7% of the vote, 56 deputies, and 26 senators,[7] it became the fourth largest party of the country and within the Italian Parliament.

Parties and leaders
Party Ideology Leader
Christian Democracy (DC) Christian democracy Arnaldo Forlani
Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) Democratic socialism Achille Occhetto
Italian Socialist Party (PSI) Social democracy Bettino Craxi
Northern League (LN) Regionalism Umberto Bossi
Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) Communism Sergio Garavini
Italian Social Movement (MSI) Neo-fascism Gianfranco Fini
Italian Republican Party (PRI) Social liberalism Giorgio La Malfa
Italian Liberal Party (PLI) Conservative liberalism Renato Altissimo
Federation of the Greens (FdV) Green politics Carlo Ripa di Meana
Italian Democratic Socialist Party (PSDI) Social democracy Franco Nicolazzi
The Network (Rete) Anti-corruption Leoluca Orlando
Pannella List (LP) Liberalism Marco Pannella

Results

Christian Democracy (DC) suffered a significant swing against it, but the coalition it had led prior to the elections managed to retain a small majority. Opposition parties won a significant amount of support; however, the largest opposition party, the Italian Communist Party, had suffered an internal crisis after the fall of the Soviet Union, with the bulk of the party reforming into the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) and a minority forming the Communist Refoundation Party (PRC). Collectively, they suffered a 4% swing against them, with the PDS losing a third of its seats compared to 1987, and the opposition was divided. The biggest winner of the election was the Northern League, which was not inclined to alliances at the time due to its separatist leanings.

The resulting parliament was therefore weak and difficult to bring to an agreement, and lasted only two years before new elections were held in 1994. This was accelerated by the mani pulite scandal, which began shortly before the election and expanded in scope throughout 1992 and 1993. The scandal implicated vast sections of almost every major political party in Italy in extensive corruption. This had catastrophic consequences for the political landscape as the governing parties became extremely unpopular.

The 1992–1994 parliamentary term also saw the first major change to the Italian electoral system since the late 1940s, with a 1993 referendum abolishing the clause of the electoral law which required candidates to win two-thirds of votes to be elected in the Senate's single-member districts. This essentially transformed the Senate electoral law from de facto pure proportional representation to a majoritarian additional member system. Parliament subsequently passed a new electoral law establishing a similar system for the Chamber of Deputies.

Chamber of Deputies
← Summary of the 5 April 1992 Chamber of Deputies election results →
Party Votes % Seats +/−
Christian Democracy (DC)11,640,26529.66206−28
Democratic Party of the Left (PDS)6,321,08416.11107−70
Italian Socialist Party (PSI)5,343,93013.6292−2
Northern League (LN)3,396,0128.6555+54
Communist Refoundation Party (PRC)2,204,6415.6235New
Italian Social Movement (MSI)2,107,0375.3734−1
Italian Republican Party (PRI)1,722,4654.3927+6
Italian Liberal Party (PLI)1,121,2642.8617+6
Federation of the Greens (FdV)1,093,9952.7916+3
Italian Democratic Socialist Party (PSDI)1,064,6472.7116−1
The Network (LR)730,1711.8612New
Pannella List (LP)485,6941.247−6
Yes Referendum (SR)319,8120.810New
Pensioners' Party (PP)246,3790.630New
Other Leagues[8]220,5590.560New
South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP)198,4470.513±0
Hunting, Fishing, Environment (CPA)192,7990.490±0
Federalism–Pensioners Living Men
(UV–PSd'Az–SSK–UfS–Others)		154,6210.391New
Venetian Autonomy League (LAV)152,3010.391New
Housewives–Pensioners League133,7170.340New
Autonomist Lists94,5830.240±0
Southern Action League (LAM)53,7590.140New
Autonomous Veneto (VA)49,0350.120New
Federalist Greens (VF)42,6470.110New
Aosta Valley (VdA)41,4040.111±0
Dolchi-Fosson Group30,7240.080New
Greens Greens25,8870.070New
Others59,3960.150±0
Invalid/blank votes2,232,489–––
Total41,479,764100630±0
Registered voters/turnout47,486,96487.35––
Source: Ministry of the Interior
Popular vote
DC
 
 29.66%
PDS
 
 16.11%
PSI
 
 13.62%
LN
 
 8.65%
PRC
 
 5.62%
MSI
 
 5.37%
PRI
 
 4.39%
PLI
 
 2.86%
FdV
 
 2.79%
PSDI
 
 2.71%
Rete
 
 1.86%
LP
 
 1.24%
Others
 
 5.14%
Seats
DC
 
 32.70%
PDS
 
 16.98%
PSI
 
 14.60%
LN
 
 8.73%
PRC
 
 5.56%
MSI
 
 5.40%
PRI
 
 4.29%
PLI
 
 2.70%
FdV
 
 2.54%
PSDI
 
 2.54%
Rete
 
 1.90%
LP
 
 1.11%
Others
 
 0.95%

Results by constituency
Constituency Total
seats		 Seats won
DC PDS PSI LN PRC MSI PRI PLI FdV PSDI Others
Turin 35 7 5 5 6 3 2 2 1 1 1 2
Cuneo 12 4 1 2 3 1 1
Genoa 19 5 4 2 3 1 1 1 1 1
Milan 48 10 7 7 10 3 2 3 1 2 1 2
Como 19 5 2 3 6 1 1 1
Brescia 21 7 2 2 6 1 1 1 1
Mantua 9 3 2 1 2 1
Trentino 10 3 1 1 1 4
Verona 28 10 3 3 5 1 1 1 1 1 2
Venice 15 5 2 2 3 1 1 1
Udine 12 4 1 2 3 1 1
Bologna 27 5 9 3 2 2 1 2 1 1 1
Parma 18 4 6 2 3 1 1 1
Florence 17 4 6 2 1 2 1 1
Pisa 16 4 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 1
Siena 7 2 3 1 1
Ancona 16 6 4 2 1 1 1 1
Perugia 11 3 4 2 1 1
Rome 54 17 10 7 3 5 3 2 2 2 3
L'Aquila 16 6 3 2 1 1 1 1 1
Campobasso 5 3 1 1
Naples 44 18 6 8 2 3 1 2 1 1 2
Benevento 19 9 2 5 1 1 1
Bari 25 10 3 5 1 2 1 1 1 1
Lecce 18 7 3 3 1 2 1 1
Potenza 6 4 1 1
Catanzaro 24 9 4 4 2 1 1 1 2
Catania 29 12 3 5 1 2 2 1 1 2
Palermo 27 12 2 3 1 1 1 1 2 4
Cagliari 19 7 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 1
Aosta Valley 1 1
Trieste 3 1 1 1
Total 630 206 107 92 55 35 34 27 17 16 16 25

Senate of the Republic
← Summary of the 5 April 1992 Senate of the Republic election results →
Party Votes % Seats +/−
Christian Democracy (DC)9,088,49427.27107−18
Democratic Party of the Left (PDS)5,682,88817.0564−37
Italian Socialist Party (PSI)4,523,87313.5749+13
Northern League (LN)2,732,4618.2025+24
Communist Refoundation Party (PRC)2,171,9506.5220New
Italian Social Movement (MSI)2,171,2156.5116±0
Italian Republican Party (PRI)1,565,1424.7010+2
Federation of the Greens1,027,3033.084+3
Italian Liberal Party (PLI)939,1592.824+1
Italian Democratic Socialist Party (PSDI)853,8952.563−2
Yes Referendum (SR)332,3181.000New
The Network (LR)239,8680.723New
Pensioners' Party (PP)215,8890.650New
Federalism–Pensioners Living Men
(UV–PSd'Az–SSK–UfS–Others)		174,7130.521New
South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP)168,1130.503+1
Pannella List (LP)166,7080.500−3
For Calabria143,9760.432New
Venetian Autonomy League (LAV)142,4460.431New
Other Leagues141,1780.420New
Housewives-Pensioners League134,3270.400New
Lombard Alpine League (LAL)119,1530.361New
Hunting, Fishing, Environment (CPA)116,3950.350±0
Autonomist Lists95,6870.290±0
Autonomous Veneto (VA)50,9380.150New
Southern Action League (LAM)49,7690.150New
For Molise48,3520.151New
Federalist Greens (VF)47,0510.140New
Aosta Valley (VdA)34,1500.101±0
Dolchi-Fosson Group31,1750.090New
Greens Greens29,2170.090New
League of Leagues24,0540.070New
Political Movement for the Defense of Motorists (PDA)3,2660.010New
Others63,4610.190±0
Invalid/blank votes2,409,646–––
Total35,651,621100315±0
Registered voters/turnout41,022,75886.9––
Source: Ministry of the Interior
Popular vote
DC
 
 27.27%
PDS
 
 17.05%
PSI
 
 13.57%
LN
 
 8.20%
PRC
 
 6.52%
MSI
 
 6.51%
PRI
 
 4.70%
FdV
 
 3.08%
PLI
 
 2.82%
PSDI
 
 2.56%
Others
 
 7.72%
Seats
DC
 
 33.97%
PDS
 
 20.32%
PSI
 
 15.56%
LN
 
 7.94%
PRC
 
 6.35%
MSI
 
 5.08%
PRI
 
 3.17%
FdV
 
 1.27%
PLI
 
 1.27%
PSDI
 
 0.95%
Others
 
 4.13%

Results by constituency
Constituency Total
seats		 Seats won
DC PDS PSI LN PRC MSI PRI FdV PLI PSDI Others
Piedmont 24 6 4 4 4 2 1 1 1 1
Aosta Valley 1 1
Lombardy 48 14 7 7 11 3 1 2 1 1 1
Trentino-Alto Adige 7 2 1 1 3
Veneto 23 9 3 3 4 1 1 1 1
Friuli-Venezia Giulia 7 3 1 2 1
Liguria 10 3 3 1 2 1
Emilia-Romagna 21 5 9 2 2 2 1
Tuscany 19 5 7 3 2 1 1
Umbria 7 2 3 1 1
Marche 8 3 3 1 1
Lazio 27 9 7 4 2 3 1 1
Abruzzo 7 4 2 1
Molise 2 1 1
Campania 30 11 5 5 2 3 1 1 1 1
Apulia 21 7 4 4 1 3 1 1
Basilicata 7 4 1 2
Calabria 11 5 2 1 1 2
Sicily 26 10 3 4 1 2 1 1 1 3
Sardinia 9 4 2 2 1
Total 315 107 64 49 25 20 16 10 4 4 3 13

Maps
Seat distribution by constituency for the Chamber of Deputies (left) and Senate (right).

References
  1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1048 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. Kertzer, David I. (1998). Politics and Symbols: The Italian Communist Party and the Fall of Communism. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-07724-7.
  3. Ignazi, Pietro (2008). Partiti politici in Italia. Bologna: Il Mulino. p. 88.
  4. Ginsborg, Paul (1996). L'Italia del tempo presente. Turin: Einaudi. pp. 336–337, 534–535.
  5. Galli, Giorgio (2001). I partiti politici italiani. Milan: BUR. pp. 379–380, 384.
  6. Rumiz, Paolo (2001). La secessione leggera. Dove nasce la rabbia del profondo Nord. Milan: Feltrinelli. pp. 10–13.
  7. Parenzo, David; Romano, Davide (2009). Romanzo padano. Da Bossi a Bossi. Storia della Lega. Milan: Sperling & Kupfer. pp. 263–266.
  8. Including Lega Meridionale per l'Unità Nazionale with 464 Votes, Lega Meridionale d'Italia with 4,054 votes, Emilia-Romagna–Lega Padana with 5,836 votes, Lega Lazio with 5,918 votes, Lega Marche with 8,036 votes, League of the Leagues (incl. Lega Meridionale, Lega Meridionale di Pittella, Lega Nazional Popolare, Partito di Dio, Partito del Dovere, Movimento Lombardo, Popolare di Milano, Busto Arsizio, Lega Toscana, Lega Laziale) with 27,870 Votes, Lega Lombardia Europea Tibia Libera with 33,589 votes and Lega Alpina Piemont with 160,612 votes.
  1. Forlani also served as secretary from 1969 to 1973.
  2. Occhetto served as secretary of the PCI from 1988 to 1991. In 1991 he was appointed secretary of PCI's heir, the PDS.
  3. Fini also served as secretary from 1987 to 1990.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.