| Gianfranco Fini ( M) |
| Ugo Zampetti ( M) |
Piazza Montecitorio
00186 ROMA
Tel.: (3906) 67 601
Fax: (3906) 67 83 082
E-mail: segreteria_uip@camera.it
Cable: Camera dei Deputati, 00186 Roma
Telex: 622006 CAMDEP
| http://www.parlamento.it |
| http://www.camera.it/ |
- 1 single-member constituency in Valle d'Aosta
- 1 constituency for Italians abroad representing 4 geographical groups (12 seats): a) Europe (including the entire Russian Federation and Turkey); b) South America; c) North and Central America; and d) Africa, Asia, Oceania and Antarctica.
- proportional representation system for 629 of 630 seats, using blocked party lists for 617 of the 630 members elected from Italy and for the 12 members elected by Italian citizens overseas
*First-past-the-post system for the single-member constituency in Valle d'Aosta
The minimum thresholds for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies are:
- for a political coalition: 10 % of total valid votes;
- for a political party (list) within a coalition: 2% of total valid votes;
- for a political party (list) which is not affiliated with any political coalition: 4% of total votes cast nationwide;
- for language minority lists: 20% of the votes cast in their constituency.
However, any list obtaining the highest number of votes among all lists and which fails to win 2% of the votes cast is also entitled to a seat.
If the political coalition or party with the highest number of votes fails to win 340 seats, it is given "bonus" seats to meet the 340-seat requirement. The 277 remaining seats are distributed among the other coalitions or unaffiliated lists using the whole number quotient and highest remainders method.
Seats which become vacant between general elections are filled by the "next-in-line" candidate of the same party list. By-elections are held in the case of majority seats.
Voting is not compulsory.
- Italian citizenship
- disqualifications: criminal conviction, immoral character as defined by the law
Pursuant to Law No. 459/2001 and its implementing regulations (Presidential Decree No. 104 of 2003), Italians abroad meeting the above-mentioned requirements are entitled to elect 12 members representing the Constituency for Italians Abroad (Circonscrizione Estero). They can vote by post or in the constituency in Italy in which they are registered. Electors residing overseas and wishing to return to Italy to cast their vote must notify the relevant Consular Office in writing by 31 December of the year before the normal expiry of the legislature or, if Parliament is dissolved early, within 10 days of the calling of the election.
- age: minimum 25
- Italian citizenship
Candidates running in the Constituency for Italians Abroad must be both resident and qualified electors of that geographical group.
- executive of a State enterprise or State-assisted company
Also available:
Archive of past election results for this chamber
| Round no 1 (13 April 2008): Election results | ||||
| Number of registered electors | ||||
| Voters | 37'954'253 (80.51%) | |||
| Blank or invalid ballot papers | 1'929'709 | |||
| Valid votes | 36'024'544 | |||
| Round no 1: Distribution of votes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political Group | Candidates | Votes | % of votes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| People of Freedom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Democratic Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Union of the Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italy of Values (IV-LDP) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Movement for Autonomy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Autonomy Liberty Democracy (ALD) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Associative Movement of Italians Abroad | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Round no 1: Distribution of seats | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political Group | Total of seats | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| People of Freedom | 276 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Democratic Party | 217 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern League | 60 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Union of the Centre | 36 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italy of Values (IV-LDP) | 29 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Movement for Autonomy | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Autonomy Liberty Democracy (ALD) | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Associative Movement of Italians Abroad | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, cessation of mandate (incompatibility), death, dissolution of the Chamber
- prior to validation of mandates
- two-thirds majority required in the first and second rounds, an absolute majority in the third
- the provisional President, assisted by the four provisional Secretaries, supervises the voting
- the provisional President announces the results without delay
- the results cannot be challenged
- in the order of precedence, the oldest of the Presidents of the two Houses comes first
- presides over joint sittings of both Houses
- presides over the Board of the Presidency, the Standing Orders Committee and the Conference of leaders of parliamentary groups
- represents the Chamber with the public authorities
- in the absence of the Speaker, one of the four Vice-Presidents can assume his/her role and functions
- meets at the initiative of the President without any particular frequency
- is empowered to deal with administrative, financial and organizational matters
+ expense allowance, equivalent to that of the President of the Council of Ministers (Lit. 5,917,511, tax-free)
- official residence
- official car with chaffeur
- air transport
- secretariat
- bodyguards
- organizes the debates and sets the speaking time allotted to each group, in collaboration with the Conference of Presidents
- examines the admissibility of bills and amendments
- refers texts to a committee for study - if a text is challenged by a leader of a group, the President must have the Chamber deliberate it
- ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders
- makes certain announcements concerning the Chamber
- takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures
- gives and withdraws permission to speak depending on the agenda
- can moderate discussions and change the order in which amendments are taken up
- organizes votes according to the Standing Orders, proclaims the results, and may cancel a vote in the event of irregularities
- authenticates the texts adopted and the records of debates, assisted by a Secretary
- interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the Chamber
- may, in certain cases covered by the Standing Orders, give the floor outside the agenda and thus organizes impromptu debates
- is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments
- is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the police in the event of disturbance in the Chamber
· Procedure (Art. 72 (last paragraph) and Art. 87(1) of Presidential Decree N° 361 of 30 March 1957, Rules 2 and 14 to 17 of the Rules governing the Examination of Credentials, Art. 19 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
· Procedure (Art. 89 of Presidential Decree N° 361 of 30 March 1957)
· Authority competent to accept the resignation: the Senate (save in the event of incompatibility)
- Forfeiture of mandate on grounds of incompatibility or loss of eligibility (Art. 66 of the Constitution in conjunction with Art. 51, 56(2), 58(2) and 65 of the Constitution, Rule 18 of the Rules governing the Examination of Credentials, Art. 19 of the Standing Orders of the Senate) - Forfeiture of mandate for breaching the rules governing electoral campaigns (Art. 15(7) of Act N° 515 regulating electoral cam-paigns for political elections)
- Loss of mandate pursuant to a judicial decision: criminal conviction entailing the ancillary penalty of exclusion from public office
1. The President
2. The Vice-President
3. Life senators, according to seniority and, in cases of equal eligibility, according to age
4. Quaestors, according to seniority in the office of Senior Quaestor and, in cases of equal eligibility, according to age
5. Secretaries, according to seniority and, in cases of equal eligibility, according to age
6. Chairpersons of joint equi-representational commissions, committees and delegations, according to seniority and, in cases of equal eligibility, according to age
7. Presidents of parliamentary commissions and committees, according to seniority and, in cases of equal eligibility, according to age
8. Parliamentary secretaries of political parties represented in Parliament, by alphabetical order 9. Leaders of parliamentary groups, according to the numerical strength of the group
10. Vice-Presidents of joint equi-representational commissions, committees and delegations, according to seniority and, in cases of equal eligibility, according to age
11. Vice-Chairpersons of parliamentary commissions and committees, according to seniority and, in cases of equal eligibility, according to age
12. Secretaries of parliamentary commissions, committees and delegations, according to seniority and, in case of equal seniority, according to age
13. Presidents of advisory sub-committees, according to seniority and, in cases of equal eligibility, according to age
14. Other senators, according to seniority in Parliament and, in cases of equal eligibility, according to age
· Basic salary (Art. 69 of the Constitution): Lit. 18,560,281 (gross) per month
· + Monthly subsistence allowance
· No tax exemption
· Pension scheme
· Other facilities:
(a) Secretariat
(b) Assistants
(c) Postal and telephone services
(d) Travel and transport
· Parliamentary non-accountability is applicable to words spoken and written by MPs both within and outside Parliament, provided that they bear a functional relationship to the exercise of the man-date.
· Derogations: insults and contempt (Art. 66 and 67 of the Standing Orders of the Senate; see Discipline)
· Non-accountability takes effect on the day when the mandate be-gins and, on expiry of the mandate, affords protection against prosecution for opinions expressed during the exercise of the mandate.
· It is applicable to criminal and civil proceedings, covers all offences and protects MPs from arrest and detention on remand, house or body searches, interception of their conversations or communications and seizure of their mail.
· Derogations:
- Senators may be arrested, without prior authorisation by the Senate, in execution of a conviction that is not subject to appeal.
- Senators may be arrested without prior authorisation by the Senate if they are caught committing an offence for which an arrest warrant is compulsory.
· Parliamentary inviolability does not prevent MPs from being called as witnesses before a judge or court.
· Protection is provided throughout the mandate and also covers judicial proceedings instituted against MPs before their election.
· Parliamentary immunity (inviolability) can be lifted (Art. 68, paras. 2 and 3, of the Constitution): - Competent authority: the Senate
- Procedure (Art. 19(5) and Art. 135 of the Standing Orders of the Senate). In this case, MPs can be given a hearing. There is no possibility of appeal.
· Parliament cannot impose conditions on the prosecution and/or detention.
· Parliament cannot suspend the prosecution and/or detention of one of its members.
· In the event of pre-trial custody or imprisonment, the MPs con-cerned cannot be authorised to attend sittings of Parliament.
· It is provided by the parliamentary groups or the Bureau of the Senate.
· Handbook of parliamentary procedure:
- Vade mecum for Senators
· Penalty for failure to fulfil this obligation: reduction in the variable proportion of the monthly subsistence allowance
· Disciplinary measures foreseen:
- Call to order, possibly with an entry in the record (Art. 66 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- Censure (Art. 67 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- Exclusion from the Senate Hall for the remainder of the sitting (Art. 67 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- Suspension of the sitting (Art. 67 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- Suspension from Parliament (Art. 67 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
· Specific cases:
- Insults or contempt (Art. 66 and 67 of the Standing Orders of the Senate): call to order, possibly with an entry in the record, censure, exclusion from the Senate Hall for the remainder of the sitting, suspension of the sitting, suspension from Parliament
- Serious disturbances (Art. 68 of the Standing Orders of the Senate): call to order, suspension or adjournment of the sitting· Competent body to judge such cases/to impose penalties (Art. 8 of the Standing Orders of the Senate):
- Call to order, possibly with an entry in the record, censure, exclusion from the Senate Hall for the remainder of the sitting, suspension of the sitting, serious disturbances: the President
- Suspension from Parliament: the Bureau of the Senate
· Procedure:
- Call to order, possibly with an entry in the record, insults and contempt (Art. 66 of the Standing Orders of the Senate) Censure, exclusion from the Senate Hall for the remainder of the sitting, suspension of the sitting, suspension from Parliament, insults and contempt (Art. 67 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
- Serious disturbances (Art. 68 of the Standing Orders of the Senate)
· Penalties for violation of the code of conduct:
- Forfeiture of mandate (Art. 66 of the Constitution in conjunction with Art. 58(2) and 65 of the Constitution; incompatibility)
- Penal sanctions (Art. 290 and 313 of the Penal Code, Art. 135(6) of the Standing Orders of the Senate; insulting the Republic, the institutions and the armed forces)
· Competent body to judge such cases/to impose penalties:
- Forfeiture of mandate: the Senate
- Penal sanctions: the ordinary judicial authorities
· Procedure:
- Forfeiture of mandate (Art. 66 of the Constitution in conjunction with Art. 65 of the Constitution, Rule 18 of the Rules governing the Examination of Credentials; incompatibility). In this case, MPs have no possibility of appeal.
- Penal sanctions (Art. 290 and 313 of the Penal Code, Art. 135(6) of the Standing Orders of the Senate; insulting the Republic, the institutions and the armed forces). In this case, MPs have no possibility of appeal.
Also available:
Archive of past election results for this chamber
General Information | Electoral System
Last Elections | Presidency of the Parliament | Parliamentary Mandate
PARLINE database: new search
Copyright © 1996-2008 Inter-Parliamentary Union