The 1996 Italian general election was held on 21 April, resulting in a narrow win for the Romano Prodi-led centre-left coalition, The Olive Tree, which had a covenant of desistance pact with the Communist Refoundation Party, over the Silvio Berlusconi-led centre-right coalition, the Pole for Freedoms, in both houses of the Italian Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. It resulted in the formation of the Prodi I Cabinet.[1]
| align=left colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Coalition | Party | Proportional | First-past-the-post | align=left rowspan=2 | Total seats | align=left rowspan=2 | +/– | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | |||||||
| The Olive Tree | Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) | 7,894,118 | 21.06 | 26 | 15,747,455 | 42.01 | 146 | 172 | +48 | |||
| 2,554,072 | 6.81 | 4 | 65 | 69 | +18 | |||||||
| Italian Renewal (RI) | 1,627,380 | 4.34 | 8 | 18 | 26 | New | ||||||
| Federation of the Greens (FdV) | 938,665 | 2.50 | 0 | 14 | 14 | +3 | ||||||
| The Network (LR) | 0 | 3 | 3 | −5 | ||||||||
| Ladin Autonomist Union (UAL) | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | ||||||||
| Total seats | 38 | 247 | 285 | – | ||||||||
| Pole for Freedoms | Forza Italia (FI) | 7,712,149 | 20.57 | 37 | 15,027,030 | 40.08 | 86 | 123 | −9 | |||
| National Alliance (AN) | 5,870,491 | 15.66 | 28 | 65 | 93 | −17 | ||||||
| 2,189,563 | 5.84 | 12 | 28 | 30 | +3 | |||||||
| Total seats | 77 | 169 | 246 | – | ||||||||
| Northern League (LN) | 3,776,354 | 10.07 | 20 | 4,038,239 | 10.77 | 39 | 59 | −59 | ||||
| Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) | 3,213,748 | 8.57 | 20 | 982,505 | 2.62 | 15 | 35 | −3 | ||||
| South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | 0 | 156,708 | 0.42 | 3 | 3 | ±0 | ||||||
| Southern Action League (LAM) | 72,062 | 0.19 | 0 | 82,373 | 0.22 | 1 | 1 | ±0 | ||||
| Aosta Valley (VdA) | 0 | 37,431 | 0.10 | 1 | 1 | ±0 | ||||||
| Total | 630 | – | ||||||||||
| Parties and coalitions | Vote | % | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pole for Freedoms (PpL) | 15,027,030 | 40.09 | 169 | |
| The Olive Tree (Ulivo) | 14,447,548 | 38.54 | 228 | |
| Northern League (LN) | 4,038,239 | 10.77 | 39 | |
| The Olive Tree – Venetian Autonomy League (Ulivo–LAV) | 997,534 | 2.66 | 14 | |
| Progressives | 982,505 | 2.62 | 15 | |
| Tricolour Flame (FT) | 624,558 | 1.67 | 0 | |
| The Olive Tree – Sardinian Action Party (Ulivo–PSd'Az) | 269,047 | 0.72 | 4 | |
| South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | 156,708 | 0.42 | 3 | |
| Southern Action League (LAM) | 82,373 | 0.22 | 1 | |
| Pannella-Sgarbi List (LPS) | 69,406 | 0.19 | 0 | |
| Clean Hands (MP) | 68,443 | 0.18 | 0 | |
| Socialist Party (PS) | 44,786 | 0.12 | 0 | |
| Sardigna Natzione (SN) | 42,246 | 0.11 | 0 | |
| Aosta Valley (VdA) | 37,431 | 0.10 | 1 | |
| Democracy and Freedom (DL) | 33,326 | 0.09 | 1 | |
| Renovation | 28,988 | 0.08 | 0 | |
| Humanist Party (PU) | 27,694 | 0.07 | 0 | |
| Italian Renaissance Movement (MRI) | 24,074 | 0.06 | 0 | |
| Union for South Tyrol (UfS) | 23,032 | 0.06 | 0 | |
| We Sicilians – Sicilian National Front (NS–FNS) | 20,102 | 0.05 | 0 | |
| Pact for the Agro | 18,836 | 0.05 | 0 | |
| Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) | 17,996 | 0.05 | 0 | |
| Greens Greens | 12,905 | 0.03 | 0 | |
| Environmentalists | 12,299 | 0.03 | 0 | |
| Liberal Federalists (FL) | 11,563 | 0.03 | 0 | |
| Aosta Valley for the Olive Tree | 11,526 | 0.03 | 0 | |
| Social Democracy (DS) | 9,760 | 0.03 | 0 | |
| North-East Union (UNE) | 9,669 | 0.03 | 0 | |
| Independent Group Freedom (GIL) | 8,805 | 0.02 | 0 | |
| Natural Law Party (PLN) | 7,708 | 0.02 | 0 | |
| Moderates | 6,208 | 0.02 | 0 | |
| New Energies | 5,627 | 0.02 | 0 | |
| New Democracy (ND) | 5,333 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| Development and Legality | 5,275 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| For Marche | 4,317 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| Resurgence of the South | 4,291 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| Free North Autonomy | 4,013 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| New Ways | 3,904 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| State of Friuli | 3,345 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| Liberist Solidal Alliance | 3,219 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| Ingenuity and Audacity | 2,805 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| Venetian Solidarity | 2,655 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| South Pole Movement | 2,310 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| Federalist Italian League (LIF) | 2,268 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| Trieste Women's Pact | 2,121 | 0.01 | 0 | |
| Others | 71,281 | 0.19 | 0 | |
| Total | 37,295,109 | 100.00 | 475 | |
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) | 7,894,118 | 21.06 | 26 | ||||
| Forza Italia (FI) | 7,712,149 | 20.57 | 37 | ||||
| National Alliance (AN) | 5,870,491 | 15.66 | 28 | ||||
| Northern League (LN) | 3,776,354 | 10.07 | 20 | ||||
| Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) | 3,213,748 | 8.57 | 20 | ||||
| Populars for Prodi (PPI–UD–PRI–SVP) | 2,554,072 | 6.81 | 4 | ||||
| Christian Democratic Centre–CDU (CCD–CDU) | 2,189,563 | 5.84 | 12 | ||||
| Italian Renewal (RI) | 1,627,380 | 4.34 | 8 | ||||
| Federation of the Greens (FdV) | 938,665 | 2.50 | 0 | ||||
| Pannella-Sgarbi List (LPS) | 702,988 | 1.88 | 0 | ||||
| Tricolour Flame (FT) | 339,351 | 0.91 | 0 | ||||
| Socialist Party (PS) | 149,441 | 0.40 | 0 | ||||
| Southern Action League (LAM) | 72,062 | 0.19 | 0 | ||||
| North-East Union (UNE) | 63,934 | 0.17 | 0 | ||||
| Union for South Tyrol (UfS) | 55,548 | 0.15 | 0 | ||||
| Clean Hands (MP) | 44,935 | 0.12 | 0 | ||||
| We Sicilians – Sicilian National Front (NS–FNS) | 41,001 | 0.11 | 0 | ||||
| Sardinian Action Party (PSd'Az) | 38,002 | 0.10 | 0 | ||||
| 25,788 | 0.07 | 0 | |||||
| Sardgna Natzione (SN) | 23,355 | 0.06 | 0 | ||||
| Independent Group Freedom | 17,451 | 0.05 | 0 | ||||
| Environmentalists | 15,560 | 0.04 | 0 | ||||
| Humanist Party (PU) | 14,601 | 0.04 | 0 | ||||
| Renovation | 13,677 | 0.04 | 0 | ||||
| Pact for the Agro | 12,297 | 0.03 | 0 | ||||
| Social Democracy | 9,319 | 0.02 | 0 | ||||
| Italian Renaissance Movement (MRI) | 8,886 | 0.02 | 0 | ||||
| Tuscan Autonomist Movement (MAT) | 8,627 | 0.02 | 0 | ||||
| Natural Law Party (PLN) | 8,298 | 0.02 | 0 | ||||
| New Democracy | 8,185 | 0.02 | 0 | ||||
| Liberal Federalists (FL) | 6,475 | 0.02 | 0 | ||||
| For Marche | 5,545 | 0.01 | 0 | ||||
| New Energies | 5,393 | 0.01 | 0 | ||||
| Development and Legality | 5,347 | 0.01 | 0 | ||||
| Free North Autonomy | 4,965 | 0.01 | 0 | ||||
| Federalist Party (PF) | 3,743 | 0.01 | 0 | ||||
| Resurgence of the South | 3,084 | 0.01 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 100.00 | 37,484,398 | 155 | ||||
| Invalid/blank/unassigned votes | – | 2,917,376 | – | ||||
| Total | – | 40,401,774 | – | ||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 82.88% | 48,744,846 | – | ||||
| Source: Ministry of the Interior | |||||||
| align=left colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Coalition | Party | First-past-the-post | Proportional Seats | Total seats | align=left rowspan=2 | +/– | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | |||||||
| The Olive Tree | Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) | 13,434,607 | 41.18 | 134 | 23 | 102 | +26 | ||
| Italian People's Party (PPI) | 27 | −4 | |||||||
| Federation of the Greens (FdV) | 14 | +7 | |||||||
| Italian Renewal (RI) | 11 | New | |||||||
| The Network (LR) | 1 | −5 | |||||||
| Venetian Autonomy League (LAV) | 1 | +1 | |||||||
| Sardinian Action Party (PSd'Az) | 1 | +1 | |||||||
| Total seats | 157 | – | |||||||
| Pole for Freedoms | Forza Italia (FI) | 12,185,020 | 37.35 | 67 | 49 | 48 | +13 | ||
| National Alliance (AN) | 43 | −4 | |||||||
| Christian Democratic Centre (CCD) | 15 | +3 | |||||||
| United Christian Democrats (CDU) | 10 | New | |||||||
| Total seats | 116 | – | |||||||
| Northern League (LN) | 3,394,733 | 10.41 | 18 | 9 | 27 | −33 | |||
| Progressives | 934,974 | 2.87 | 10 | 0 | 10 | −8 | |||
| Tricolour Flame (FT) | 747,487 | 2.29 | 0 | 1 | 1 | New | |||
| Pannella-Sgarbi List (LPS) | 509,826 | 1.56 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ±0 | |||
| The Fir–SVP–PATT | 178,425 | 0.55 | 2 | 0 | 2 | −1 | |||
| Aosta Valley (VdA) | 27,493 | 0.08 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ±0 | |||
| Total | 315 | – | |||||||
| align=left colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Party or coalition | Votes | % | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPTP | Proportional | ||||
| The Olive Tree (Ulivo) | 13,013,276 | 39.89 | 152 | 23 | |
| Pole for Freedoms (PdL) | 12,185,020 | 37.35 | 116 | 49 | |
| Northern League (LN) | 3,394,733 | 10.41 | 27 | 9 | |
| Progressives | 934,974 | 2.87 | 10 | 0 | |
| Tricolour Flame (FT) | 747,487 | 2.29 | 0 | 1 | |
| Pannella-Sgarbi List (LPS) | 509,826 | 1.56 | 0 | 1 | |
| Socialist Party (PS) | 286,426 | 0.88 | 0 | 0 | |
| The Fir–SVP–PATT | 178,425 | 0.55 | 2 | 0 | |
| Clean Hands (MP) | 109,113 | 0.33 | 0 | 0 | |
| League for Autonomy – Lombard Alliance (LAL) | 106,313 | 0.33 | 0 | 0 | |
| North-East Union (UNE) | 72,541 | 0.22 | 0 | 0 | |
| We Sicilians – Sicilian National Front (NS–FNS) | 71,841 | 0.22 | 0 | 0 | |
| Southern Action League (LAM) | 66,750 | 0.20 | 0 | 0 | |
| Greens Greens (VV) | 61,434 | 0.19 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pensioners' Party (PP) | 60,640 | 0.19 | 0 | 0 | |
| Social Democracy | 60,016 | 0.18 | 0 | 0 | |
| Federation of Italian Civic Lists | 55,793 | 0.17 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sardigna Natzione (SN) | 44,713 | 0.14 | 0 | 0 | |
| Aosta Valley (VdA) | 27,493 | 0.08 | 1 | 0 | |
| Piedmont Nation of Europe | 26,951 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | |
| Environmentalists | 26,756 | 0.08 | 0 | 0 | |
| Independent Group Freedom (GIL) | 23,301 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 | |
| Union for South Tyrol (UfS) | 19,330 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tuscan Autonomist Movement (MAT) | 18,691 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pact for the Agro | 17,980 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | |
| Renovation | 16,216 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | |
| Aosta Valley for the Olive Tree | 10,371 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | |
| Right of the People | 6,710 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
| Natural Law Party (PLN) | 10,371 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | |
| Democrats for Progress | 5,688 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
| Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) | 5,681 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
| Popular Movement of Moralization (MPM) | 5,297 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
| Azure Alps | 5,144 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | |
| Democratic Alternative for the Roman Castles | 4,524 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Progressive People's Party (PPP) | 4,450 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| For a Normal Country | 3,976 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| European Dolomite Region | 2,898 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Free North Autonomy | 2,411 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hit the Center | 2,178 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 32,624,584 | 100.00 | 232 | 83 | |
| 1996 Italian general election (C): Bologna – Mazzini | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Coalition | Party | Votes | % | |
| Romano Prodi | The Olive Tree | Ind | 55,830 | 60.82 | |
| Filippo Berselli | Pole for Freedoms | AN | 35,972 | 39.18 | |
| align=left colspan=4 | Total | 91,802 | 100.0 | ||
| align=left colspan=4 | Turnout | 95,948 | 92.26 | ||
| align=left colspan=5 | Centre-left hold | ||||
| align=left colspan=6 | Source: Ministry of the Interior | ||||
| 1996 Italian general election (C): Milan Centre | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Coalition | Party | Votes | % | |
| Silvio Berlusconi | Pole for Freedoms | FI | 46,098 | 51.50 | |
| Michele Salvati | The Olive Tree | PDS | 32,464 | 36.27 | |
| Umberto Bossi * | LN | 10,179 | 11.37 | ||
| Camillo Comelli | PU | 766 | 0.86 | ||
| align=left colspan=4 | Total | 89,507 | 100.0 | ||
| align=left colspan=4 | Turnout | 92,969 | 82.64 | ||
| align=left colspan=5 | Centre-right gain from LN | ||||
| align=left colspan=6 |
| ||||
| align=left colspan=6 | Source: Ministry of the Interior | ||||