| Legislature XV of Italy | |
| Native Name: | XV legislatura della Repubblica Italiana |
| Native Name Lang: | it |
| Legislature: | 15th legislature |
| Coa Caption: | Emblems of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies |
| House Type: | bicameral |
| Houses: | Chamber of Deputies Senate of the Republic |
| Disbanded: | |
| Preceded By: | XIV Legislature |
| Succeeded By: | XVI Legislature |
| Leader1 Type: | President of the Senate |
| Leader1: | Franco Marini |
| Party1: | The Daisy |
| Election1: | 29 April 2006 |
| Leader2 Type: | President of the Chamber of Deputies |
| Leader2: | Fausto Bertinotti |
| Party2: | PRC |
| Election2: | 29 April 2006 |
| Seats: | C: 630 S: 322 (315 + 7) |
| House1: | Chamber of Deputies |
| House2: | Senate |
| Voting System1: | Porcellum |
| Voting System2: | Porcellum |
| Last Election3: | 9–10 April 2006 |
| Meeting Place: | Palazzo Montecitorio, Rome (C) |
| Meeting Place2: | Palazzo Madama, Rome (S) |
| Website: | |
| Constitution: | Constitution of Italy |
The Legislature XV of Italy (Italian: XV Legislatura della Repubblica Italiana) started on 28 April 2006 and ended on 28 April 2008.[1] [2] Its composition resulted from the election of 9–10 April 2006, called after President Ciampi dissolved the houses on 11 February 2006, at the end of the previous legislature.[3] This legislature was the second shortest in the history of the Italian Republic, lasting exactly two years, and ending when President Giorgio Napolitano dissolved the houses on 6 February 2008, after a vote of no confidence on the incumbent Prodi Cabinet.[4]
The election was the first one with the new preferential block electoral system (also known as Porcellum) introduced by Roberto Calderoli in 2005, and later declared partially unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court.[5]
The number of elected deputies is 630.
| Initial composition[6] | Final composition | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parliamentary group | Seats | Parliamentary group | Seats | Change | |||||
| The Olive Tree | 218 | Democratic Party – The Olive Tree | 194 | 24 | |||||
| Forza Italia | 134 | Forza Italia | 131 | 3 | |||||
| National Alliance | 72 | National Alliance | 68 | 4 | |||||
| Communist Refoundation – European Left | 41 | Communist Refoundation – European Left | 40 | 1 | |||||
| UDC (CCD – CDU) | 39 | UDC (Union of Christian and Centre Democrats) | 36 | 3 | |||||
| Lega Nord Padania | 23 | Lega Nord Padania | 22 | 1 | |||||
| Italy of Values | 20 | Italy of Values | 17 | 3 | |||||
| Socialists and Radicals – RnP | 21 | 21 | |||||||
| Democratic Left. For European Socialism | 20 | 20 | |||||||
| Italian Communists | 17 | 17 | |||||||
| Greens | 15 | 15 | |||||||
| Populars – UDEUR | 11 | 11 | |||||||
| DCA – Christian Democracy for Autonomies – New PSI | 5 | 5 | |||||||
| Mixed | 83 | Mixed | 33 | 50 | |||||
| Linguistic Minorities | 5 | Linguistic Minorities | 5 | ||||||
| The Rose in the Fist | 18 | 18 | |||||||
| Italian Communists | 16 | 16 | |||||||
| Greens | 16 | 16 | |||||||
| Populars – UDEUR | 14 | 14 | |||||||
| Christian Democracy – Socialist Party | 6 | 6 | |||||||
| MpA – Movement for Autonomy | 6 | 6 | |||||||
| The Right | 4 | 4 | |||||||
| Non inscrits | 8 | Non inscrits | 18 | 10 | |||||
| Total seats | 630 | Total seats | 630 | ||||||
The number of elected senators was 315. At the start of the Legislature the number of life senators was seven (Francesco Cossiga and Oscar Luigi Scalfaro as former Presidents, as well as nominated life senators Giulio Andreotti, Rita Levi-Montalcini, Emilio Colombo, Giorgio Napolitano, and Sergio Pininfarina). During the legislature Giorgio Napolitano was elected President, thus leaving his seat as life senator. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi became life senator on 15 May 2006 as the former President.[7]