1987 Italian general election

1987 Italian general election
← outgoing members elected members →
All 630 seats in the Chamber of Deputies; 316 seats needed for a majority; All 315 elective seats in the Senate; 163 seats needed for a majority
Registered	45,692,417 (C) · 38,951,485 (S)
Turnout	40,586,573 (C) · 88.8% (0.8 pp) ; 34,421,230 (S) · 88.4% (0.4 pp)
Prime Minister before election; Amintore Fanfani; DC	Prime Minister after the election ; Giovanni Goria; DC

The 1987 Italian general election was held in Italy on 14–15 June 1987.^[1] This election was the first Italian election in which the distance between the Christian Democrats and the Communists grew significantly instead of decreasing. Two parties that had not previously been in parliament won representation: the Greens with thirteen seats, and the Northern League with two.

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. Remaining votes and seats were transferred at national level, where they was 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.

Historical background

In the 1980s, for the first time since 1945, two governments were led by non-Christian Democrat Premiers: the republican Giovanni Spadolini and the socialist Bettino Craxi; the Christian Democracy remained however the main force supporting the government.

With the end of the Years of Lead, the Italian Communist Party gradually increased their votes under the leadership of Enrico Berlinguer. The Socialist party (PSI), led by Craxi, became more and more critical of the communists and of the Soviet Union; Craxi himself pushed in favour of US president Ronald Reagan's positioning of Pershing II missiles in Italy, a move the communists hotly contested.

In June 1984 Berlinguer, the charismatic Communist leader, suddenly left the stage during a speech at a public meeting in Padua: he had suffered a brain haemorrhage, and died three days later. More than a million citizens attended his funeral, one of the biggest in Italy's history. Alessandro Natta was appointed as new party's secretary. The public emotion caused by Berlinguer's death resulted in an extraordinary strength for the Communist Party in the 1984 European election: for the first time in Western Europe since the French election of 1956, and for the first time ever in Italian history, a Communist party received a plurality by a democratic vote.

In 1984, the Craxi government revised the 1927 Lateran Pacts with the Vatican, which concluded the role of Catholicism as Italy's state religion.

During this period, Italy became the fifth-largest industrial nation and gained entry into the G7.

Parties and leaders

Party		Ideology	Leader	Seats in 1983
Party		Ideology	Leader	C	S	Total
	Christian Democracy (DC)	Christian democracy	Ciriaco De Mita	225	120	345
	Italian Communist Party (PCI)	Eurocommunism	Alessandro Natta	198	107	305
	Italian Socialist Party (PSI)	Social democracy	Bettino Craxi	73	38	111
	Italian Social Movement (MSI)	Neo-fascism	Giorgio Almirante	42	18	60
	Italian Republican Party (PRI)	Republicanism	Giorgio La Malfa	29	11	40
	Italian Democratic Socialist Party (PSDI)	Social democracy	Franco Nicolazzi	23	8	31
	Italian Liberal Party (PLI)	Liberalism	Renato Altissimo	16	6	22
	Radical Party (PR)	Radicalism	Marco Pannella	11	1	12
	Proletarian Democracy (DP)	Trotskyism	Mario Capanna	7	0	7
	Federation of Green Lists (FLV)	Green politics	Gianni Francesco Mattioli	New

Results

Chamber of Deputies



Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Christian Democracy	13,233,620	34.31	234	+9
	Italian Communist Party	10,250,644	26.58	177	−21
	Italian Socialist Party	5,501,696	14.26	94	+21
	Italian Social Movement	2,281,126	5.91	35	−7
	Italian Republican Party	1,428,663	3.70	21	−8
	Italian Democratic Socialist Party	1,140,209	2.96	17	−6
	Radical Party	987,720	2.56	13	+2
	Federation of Green Lists	969,218	2.51	13	New
	Italian Liberal Party	809,946	2.10	11	−5
	Proletarian Democracy	641,901	1.66	8	+1
	Liga Veneta–United Pensioners	298,402	0.77	0	0
	South Tyrolean People's Party	202,022	0.52	3	0
	Lega Lombarda	186,255	0.48	1	New
	Sardinian Action Party	169,978	0.44	2	+1
	Piedmontese Autonomist Movement	72,064	0.19	0	New
	Piedmontese Union	61,701	0.16	0	New
	Hunting – Fishing – Environment	55,911	0.14	0	New
	Aosta Valley	41,707	0.11	1	0
	DC–PCI–PSI–PSDI	29,937	0.08	0	New
	Popular Alliance	25,339	0.07	0	New
	Fiscal Liberation Movement	25,046	0.06	0	New
	Pensioners' Alliance	21,342	0.06	0	New
	Italian Green Party–Greens of Europe	20,916	0.05	0	New
	Veneto Autonomous Region Movement	18,945	0.05	0	New
	Italian National Movement of Hunters	14,787	0.04	0	New
	PNI–Hunting and Fishing	14,306	0.04	0	New
	Friuli Movement	13,208	0.03	0	0
	South Tyrol Party	11,287	0.03	0	0
	Italian Greens–Ecological Party	10,269	0.03	0	New
	Independentist Party	9,958	0.03	0	New
	Humanist Alliance	5,585	0.01	0	New
	New People's Party	5,055	0.01	0	New
	Justice and Freedom	4,793	0.01	0	0
	Sicilian Renaissance	2,951	0.01	0	New
	National Party of Tenants	2,898	0.01	0	0
	Movement for the Independence of Trieste	2,103	0.01	0	0
Total		38,571,508	100.00	630	0

Valid votes		38,571,508	95.04
Invalid/blank votes		2,015,065	4.96
Total votes		40,586,573	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		45,692,417	88.83
Source: Ministry of the Interior

Popular vote

DC			34.31%
PCI			26.58%
PSI			14.26%
MSI			5.91%
PRI			3.70%
PSDI			2.96%
PR			2.56%
FLV			2.51%
PLI			2.10%
DP			1.66%
Others			3.44%

Seats

DC			37.14%
PCI			28.10%
PSI			14.92%
MSI			5.56%
PRI			3.33%
PSDI			2.70%
PR			2.06%
FLV			2.06%
PLI			1.75%
DP			1.27%
Others			1.11%

Results by constituency

Constituency	Total seats	Seats won
		DC	PCI	PSI	MSI	PRI	PSDI	PR	FLV	PLI	DP	Others

Turin	34	9	10	5	2	2	1	2	1	1	1
Cuneo	14	6	3	2		1	1			1
Genoa	21	6	7	3	1	1		1	1	1
Milan	48	14	13	9	2	2	1	2	2	1	2
Como	20	7	4	4	1	1			1	1		1
Brescia	21	10	4	3	1	1			1		1
Mantua	7	3	3	1
Trentino	10	3	1	1	1				1			3
Verona	30	14	5	4	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Venice	16	7	4	3				1	1
Udine	13	5	3	3	1		1
Bologna	26	6	12	3	1	2		1	1
Parma	20	6	9	3	1				1
Florence	14	4	8	2
Pisa	14	5	6	2	1
Siena	9	3	5	1
Ancona	16	6	6	2	1	1
Perugia	12	4	5	2	1
Rome	54	19	14	7	4	2	2	2	2	1	1
L'Aquila	15	7	4	2	1		1
Campobasso	4	3	1
Naples	42	17	10	6	3	1	2	1		1	1
Benevento	19	9	4	3	1	1	1
Bari	25	10	6	4	2	1	1			1
Lecce	20	8	5	3	2	1	1
Potenza	7	4	2	1
Catanzaro	22	9	6	4	1	1	1
Catania	28	11	6	4	3	1	1	1		1
Palermo	27	11	5	4	2	1	1	1		1	1
Cagliari	18	7	5	2	1		1					2
Aosta Valley	1											1
Trieste	3	1	1	1
Total	630	234	177	94	35	21	17	13	13	11	8	7

Senate of the Republic



Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Christian Democracy	10,897,036	33.62	125	+5
	Italian Communist Party	9,181,579	28.33	101	−6
	Italian Socialist Party	3,535,457	10.91	36	−2
	Italian Social Movement	2,121,026	6.54	16	−2
	Italian Republican Party	1,248,641	3.85	8	−2
	PSI–PSDI–PR	962,215	2.97	9	0
	Italian Democratic Socialist Party	764,370	2.36	5	−3
	Italian Liberal Party	700,330	2.16	3	–3
	Federation of Green Lists	634,182	1.96	1	New
	Radical Party	572,461	1.77	3	+2
	Proletarian Democracy	493,667	1.52	1	+1
	Liga Veneta–United Pensioners	298,552	0.92	0	−1
	South Tyrolean People's Party	171,539	0.53	2	−1
	Lega Lombarda	137,276	0.42	1	New
	Sardinian Action Party	124,266	0.38	1	0
	Lay-Socialist Alliance (PSI–PSDI–PRI–PLI–PR)^[c]	84,883	0.26	1	New
	Piedmontese Autonomist Movement	60,742	0.19	0	New
	PSI–PSDI–PR–Greens	58,501	0.18	1	0
	Pensioners Popular Alliance	51,790	0.16	0	New
	Piedmontese Union	51,340	0.16	0	New
	Molisean Democratic Alliance	49,297	0.15	0	New
	Hunting – Fishing – Environment	41,135	0.13	0	New
	Aosta Valley	35,830	0.11	1	0
	DC–PCI–PSI–PSDI–PLI	25,426	0.08	0	New
	Italian Green Party–Greens of Europe	22,006	0.07	0	New
	Italian Greens–Ecological Party	19,127	0.06	0	New
	Friuli Movement	17,528	0.05	0	0
	Fiscal Liberation Movement	13,915	0.04	0	New
	Independentist Party	11,818	0.04	0	New
	South Tyrol Party	8,551	0.03	0	New
	Sicilian Renaissance	5,258	0.02	0	New
	Sardinian Action Party–Alliance for Federalism	4,812	0.01	0	New
	National Party of Tenants	4,103	0.01	0	New
	Italian National Movement of Hunters	2,695	0.01	0	New
	New People's Party	2,507	0.01	0	New
Total		32,413,861	100.00	315	0

Valid votes		32,413,861	94.17
Invalid/blank votes		2,007,369	5.83
Total votes		34,421,230	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		38,951,485	88.37
Source: Ministry of the Interior

Popular vote

DC			33.62%
PCI			28.33%
PSI			10.91%
MSI			6.54%
PRI			3.85%
PSI–PSDI–PR			2.97%
PSDI			2.36%
PLI			2.16%
FLV			1.96%
PR			1.77%
DP			1.52%
Others			3.62%

Seats

DC			39.68%
PCI			32.06%
PSI			11.43%
MSI			5.08%
PSI–PSDI–PR			2.86%
PRI			2.54%
PSDI			1.59%
PLI			0.95%
PR			0.95%
FLV			0.32%
DP			0.32%
Others			2.22%

Results by constituency

Constituency	Total seats	Seats won
		DC	PCI	PSI	MSI	PSI–PSDI–PR	PRI	PSDI	PLI	PR	FLV	DP	Others

Piedmont	24	8	8	3	1		1	1	1	1
Aosta Valley	1												1
Lombardy	48	18	12	8	2		2	1	1	1	1	1	1
Trentino-Alto Adige	7	3	1										3
Veneto	23	13	5	4	1
Friuli-Venezia Giulia	7	3	2	2
Liguria	10	4	4			2
Emilia-Romagna	21	6	11			3	1
Tuscany	19	6	10		1	2
Umbria	7	2	4	1
Marche	8	3	4	1
Lazio	27	10	9	4	2		1			1
Abruzzo	7	4	2	1
Molise	2	2
Campania	30	13	8	4	3		1	1
Apulia	21	8	6	3	2		1	1
Basilicata	7	4	2	1
Calabria	11	4	4		1	2
Sicily	26	10	6	4	3		1	1	1
Sardinia	9	4	3										2
Total	315	125	101	36	16	9	8	5	3	3	1	1	7

References

^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1048 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7

^ taking into account the Senators for life, who accounted for 9 seats at the time the election took place
^ Almirante also served as secretary from 1948 to 1950.
^ Contested in Sardinia. Paolo Fogu of the PSI was elected.

[NS-3] Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1048 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7

[1] taking into account the Senators for life, who accounted for 9 seats at the time the election took place

[2] Almirante also served as secretary from 1948 to 1950.

[4] Contested in Sardinia. Paolo Fogu of the PSI was elected.

[a]

[b]

[1]

[c]

v t e Elections and referendums in Italy
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See also: Elections in Abruzzo Aosta Valley Apulia Basilicata Calabria Campania Emilia-Romagna Friuli-Venezia Giulia Lazio Liguria Lombardy Marche Molise Piedmont Sardinia Sicily Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol Tuscany Umbria Veneto