1958 Italian general election

The 1958 Italian general election was held in Italy on 25 May 1958.[1] The number of MPs to be elected was calculated upon the population's size for the last time.

1958 Italian general election

25 May 1958

All 596 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
299 seats needed for a majority
All 246 elective seats in the Senate
127 seats needed for a majority[lower-alpha 1]
Registered32,434,852 (C) · 29,183,501 (S)
Turnout30,434,681 (C) · 93.8% (Steady0.0 pp)
27,425,843 (S) · 93.9% (Decrease0.1 pp)
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
Amintore Fanfani daticamera.jpg
Palmiro Togliatti Official (cropped).jpg
Pietro Nenni 1963.jpg
Leader Amintore Fanfani Palmiro Togliatti Pietro Nenni
Party DC PCI PSI
Leader since 16 July 1954 15 May 1943[lower-alpha 2] 16 May 1949[lower-alpha 3]
Leader's seat Arezzo (C) Rome (C) Milan (C)
Seats won 273 (C) / 123 (S) 140 (C) / 59 (S) 84 (C) / 35 (S)
Seat change Increase17 (C) / Increase7 (S) Decrease3 (C) / Increase7 (S) Increase9 (C) / Increase9 (S)
Popular vote 12,520,207 (C)
10,780,954 (S)
6,704,454 (C)
5,700,952 (S)
4,206,726 (C)
3,682,945 (S)
Percentage 42.4% (C)
41.2% (S)
22.7% (C)
21.8% (S)
14.2% (C)
14.1% (S)
Swing Increase2.3 pp (C)
Increase1.4 pp (S)
Increase0.1 pp (C)
Increase1.6 pp (S)
Increase1.5 pp (C)
Increase2.2 pp (S)

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Arturo Michelini (cropped).jpg
Giuseppe Saragat daticamera (cropped).jpg
Giovanni Malagodi 1972.jpg
Leader Arturo Michelini Giuseppe Saragat Giovanni Malagodi
Party MSI PSDI PLI
Leader since 10 October 1954 11 April 1957[lower-alpha 4] 4 April 1954
Leader's seat Rome (C) Turin (C) Milan (C)
Seats won 24 (C) / 8 (S) 22 (C) / 5 (S) 17 (C) / 4 (S)
Seat change Decrease5 (C) / Decrease1 (S) Increase3 (C) / Increase1 (S) Increase4 (C) / Increase1 (S)
Popular vote 1,407,718 (C)
1,150,051 (S)
1,345,447 (C)
1,164,280 (S)
1,047,081 (C)
1,012,610 (S)
Percentage 4.8% (C)
4.4% (S)
4.6% (C)
4.5% (S)
3.5% (C)
3.9% (S)
Swing Decrease1.0 pp (C)
Decrease1.7 pp (S)
Increase0.1 pp (C)
Increase0.2 pp (S)
Increase0.5 pp (C)
Increase1.0 pp (S)


Prime Minister before election

Adone Zoli
DC

Prime Minister after the election

Amintore Fanfani
DC

Electoral system

Minor changes were made to the electoral law in 1958, creating a system which would remain unchanged until its abrogation in 1993.

The pure party-list proportional representation was definitely adopted 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 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 9 more members. The candidates needed a landslide victory of two thirds of votes to be elected: only 5 hoping senators reached this goal. 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

After De Gasperi's retirement in 1953, Fanfani emerged as the anticipated successor, a role confirmed by his appointment as party secretary from 1954 to 1959.[2] He reorganized and rejuvenated the national party organization of the Christian Democrats after the dependence on the church and the government which had typified the De Gasperi period.[3]

Fanfani's activist and sometimes authoritarian style, as well as his reputation as an economic reformer, ensured that the moderates within the DC, who opposed the state's intrusion into the country's economic life, regarded him with distrust. His indefatigable energy and his passion for efficiency carried him far in politics, but he was rarely able to exploit fully the opportunities that he created. One politician once remarked: "Fanfani has colleagues, associates, acquaintances and subordinates. But I have never heard much about his friends."[4]

Parties and leaders

Party Ideology Leader
Christian Democracy (DC) Christian democracy Amintore Fanfani
Italian Communist Party (PCI) Communism Palmiro Togliatti
Italian Socialist Party (PSI) Democratic socialism Pietro Nenni
Italian Social Movement (MSI) Neo-fascism Arturo Michelini
Italian Democratic Socialist Party (PSDI) Social democracy Giuseppe Saragat
Italian Liberal Party (PLI) Conservative liberalism Giovanni Malagodi
People's Monarchist Party (PMP) Monarchism Achille Lauro
Monarchist National Party (PNM) Monarchism Alfredo Covelli
Italian Republican Party (PRI) Republicanism Oronzo Reale

Results

The election gave similar results of five years before and, consequently, the same problems of political instability of the centrist formula. Christian Democracy was polarized by a fraction which liked more leftist politics, and another one which urged for a rightist route. Party's secretary Amintore Fanfani was in the first field, and called for a dialogue with the Italian Socialist Party, which had frozen its relationships with the Italian Communist Party after the Hungarian Revolution. Fanfani led a year-term government, but the reaction of the conservative fraction gave the power to Antonio Segni, followed by Fernando Tambroni who received a decisive vote of confidence by the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement. The MSI had been banned by any type of political power since its birth under the theory of the Constitutional Arch, which stated that any government or opposition party which had voted the Italian Constitution, had to refuse any relationship with fascist and monarchist forces, seen as anti-constitutional groups. Strikes and revolts causing some casualties erupted through the country, and Tambroni had to resign. Fanfani returned to the premiership, this time with an openly centre-left programme supported by the socialist abstention. The government created the middle school for workers' sons, and the ENEL after the electric energy nationalisation.

Chamber of Deputies

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Christian Democracy12,520,20742.35273+10
Italian Communist Party6,704,45422.68140−3
Italian Socialist Party4,206,72614.2384+9
Italian Social Movement1,407,7184.7624−5
Italian Democratic Socialist Party1,345,4474.5522+3
Italian Liberal Party1,047,0813.5417+4
People's Monarchist Party776,9192.6314New
Monarchist National Party659,9972.2311−29
Italian Republican PartyRadical Party405,7821.376+1
Community Movement173,2270.591New
South Tyrolean People's Party135,4910.4630
Movement for Piedmontese Regional Autonomy70,5890.240New
Valdostan Union30,5960.101New
Catholic National Resurrection Party15,9290.050New
Autonomous Federation of Italian Social Democrats9,3320.030New
National Labour Party7,1830.020New
Autonomy Piemont-Villarboito Movement6,9550.020New
Union of Trieste6,6610.020New
Independence Front6,3050.020New
Pro-Pensioners Movement4,9870.020New
Italian Soldiers' United Front4,1720.010New
European Democratic Concentration4,1330.010New
Independent Divorce Movement3,9550.010New
Sicilian Social Party3,1360.010New
Italian National Movement1,4990.0100
Action-Renewal Movement7520.000New
Italian Social Economic Movement5710.000New
Italian Party of Borrowers and War Invalids4650.000New
Total29,560,269100.00596+6
Valid votes29,560,26997.13
Invalid/blank votes874,4122.87
Total votes30,434,681100.00
Registered voters/turnout32,434,85293.83
Source: Ministry of the Interior
Popular vote
DC
42.35%
PCI
22.68%
PSI
14.23%
MSI
4.76%
PSDI
4.55%
PLI
3.54%
PMP
2.63%
PNM
2.23%
PRIPR
1.37%
Others
1.64%
Seats
DC
45.81%
PCI
23.49%
PSI
14.09%
MSI
4.03%
PSDI
3.69%
PLI
2.85%
PMP
2.35%
PNM
1.85%
PRIPR
1.01%
Others
0.84%

Results by constituency

Constituency Total
seats
Seats won
DC PCI PSI MSI PSDI PLI PMP PNM PRIPR Others
Turin 26 11 6 4 2 1 1 1
Cuneo 14 8 2 2 1 1
Genoa 21 9 5 4 1 1 1
Milan 39 15 9 7 1 3 2 1 1
Como 14 8 2 3 1
Brescia 19 12 2 3 1 1
Mantua 10 5 3 2
Trentino 10 5 1 1 3
Verona 29 18 4 4 1 1 1
Venice 16 9 3 3 1
Udine 14 8 2 2 1 1
Bologna 27 7 10 4 1 2 1 2
Parma 19 7 7 3 1 1
Florence 13 5 6 2
Pisa 15 6 5 3 1
Siena 9 3 4 2
Ancona 19 8 5 3 1 1 1
Perugia 13 5 4 3 1
Rome 39 16 9 5 4 1 1 1 1 1
L'Aquila 17 8 4 2 1 1 1
Campobasso 6 4 1 1
Naples 34 14 8 3 1 1 1 6
Benevento 21 10 4 2 1 1 1 1 1
Bari 22 10 7 3 1 1
Lecce 18 9 4 2 2 1
Potenza 8 4 2 1 1
Catanzaro 26 13 6 3 1 1 1 1
Catania 29 13 6 3 2 1 2 1 1
Palermo 29 13 6 3 2 1 1 1 1 1
Cagliari 15 8 3 2 1 1
Aosta Valley 1 1
Trieste 4 2 1 1
Total 596 273 140 84 24 22 17 14 11 6 4

Senate of the Republic

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Christian Democracy10,780,95441.23123+10
Italian Communist Party5,700,95221.8059+8
Italian Socialist Party3,682,94514.0835+9
Italian Democratic Socialist Party1,164,2804.455+1
Italian Social Movement1,150,0514.408−1
Italian Liberal Party1,012,6103.874+1
People's Monarchist Party774,2422.965New
Monarchist National Party565,0452.162−14
Italian Republican PartyRadical Party363,4621.3900
MSIPNM291,3591.1100
PCIPSI185,5570.7120
Community Movement142,8970.550New
South Tyrolean People's Party120,0680.4620
Movement for Piedmontese Regional Autonomy61,0880.230New
PSIPSDI43,1910.1700
Left-wing independents28,1410.111+1
Sardinian Action Party25,9230.1000
Key12,6860.050New
Bruno Buitoni11,5400.040New
Three Peaks of Lavaredo9,9280.040New
Tota Sabina Civitas6,4490.020New
National Monarchist Party4,7290.020New
National Labour Party3,5880.010New
Socialist Unification3,1100.010New
Four-Leaf Clover2,8180.010New
Rural Movement2,3890.010New
Total26,150,002100.00246+9
Valid votes26,150,00295.35
Invalid/blank votes1,275,8414.65
Total votes27,425,843100.00
Registered voters/turnout29,183,50193.98
Source: Ministry of the Interior
Popular vote
DC
41.23%
PCI
21.80%
PSI
14.08%
PSDI
4.45%
MSI
4.40%
PLI
3.87%
PMP
2.96%
PNM
2.16%
PRIPR
1.39%
Others
3.66%
Seats
DC
50.00%
PCI
23.98%
PSI
14.23%
MSI
3.25%
PSDI
2.03%
PMP
2.03%
PLI
1.63%
PNM
0.81%
Others
2.03%

Results by constituency

Constituency Total
seats
Seats won
DC PCI PSI MSI PSDI PMP PLI PNM Others
Piedmont 18 9 4 3 1 1
Aosta Valley 1 1
Lombardy 33 16 6 7 1 2 1
Trentino-Alto Adige 6 4 2
Veneto 20 13 3 3 1
Friuli-Venezia Giulia 6 4 1 1
Liguria 8 4 2 2
Emilia-Romagna 18 6 8 3 1
Tuscany 16 7 6 3
Umbria 6 2 2 2
Marche 7 4 2 1
Lazio 17 8 4 2 2 1
Abruzzo and Molise 8 5 2 1
Campania 22 10 5 2 1 3 1
Apulia 16 8 4 2 1 1
Basilicata 6 4 2
Calabria 10 5 3 1 1
Sicily 22 10 5 2 2 1 1 1
Sardinia 6 4 2
Total 246 123 59 35 8 5 5 4 2 5

References

  1. Nohlen, Dieter; Stöver, Philip (2010). Elections in Europe: A Data Handbook (hardcover ed.). Nomos. p. 1048. ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7.
  2. "Italy: Young Initiative". Time. 12 July 1954. Archived from the original on 13 August 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  3. "Out for the Big Win". Time. 26 May 1958. Archived from the original on 31 January 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  4. "Italy: Moving to the Left". Time. 14 July 1958. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  1. taking into account the Senators for life, which accounted for 6 seats at the time the election took place
  2. Togliatti also served as secretary of the Communist Party of Italy from 1926 to 1934 and from 1938 to 1943.
  3. Nenni also served as secretary from 1933 to 1939 and from 1943 to 1945.
  4. Saragat also served as secretary from 1949 to 1952 and from 1952 to 1954.
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