1958 Italian general election

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1958 Italian general election
Flag of Italy.svg
  1953 25 May 1958 1963  

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 [a]
Registered32,434,852 (C) ·29,183,501 (S)
Turnout30,434,681 (C) ·93.8% (Steady2.svg0.0 pp)
27,425,843 (S) ·93.9% (Decrease2.svg0.1 pp)
 Majority partyMinority partyThird 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 since16 July 195415 May 1943 [b] 16 May 1949 [c]
Leader's seat Arezzo (C) Rome (C) Milan (C)
Seats won273 (C) / 123 (S)140 (C) / 59 (S)84 (C) / 35 (S)
Seat changeIncrease2.svg17 (C) / Increase2.svg7 (S)Decrease2.svg3 (C) / Increase2.svg7 (S)Increase2.svg9 (C) / Increase2.svg9 (S)
Popular vote12,520,207 (C)
10,780,954 (S)
6,704,454 (C)
5,700,952 (S)
4,206,726 (C)
3,682,945 (S)
Percentage42.4% (C)
41.2% (S)
22.7% (C)
21.8% (S)
14.2% (C)
14.1% (S)
SwingIncrease2.svg2.3 pp (C)
Increase2.svg1.4 pp (S)
Increase2.svg0.1 pp (C)
Increase2.svg1.6 pp (S)
Increase2.svg1.5 pp (C)
Increase2.svg2.2 pp (S)

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth 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 since10 October 195411 April 1957 [d] 4 April 1954
Leader's seat Rome (C) Turin (C) Milan (C)
Seats won24 (C) / 8 (S)22 (C) / 5 (S)17 (C) / 4 (S)
Seat changeDecrease2.svg5 (C) / Decrease2.svg1 (S)Increase2.svg3 (C) / Increase2.svg1 (S)Increase2.svg4 (C) / Increase2.svg1 (S)
Popular vote1,407,718 (C)
1,150,051 (S)
1,345,447 (C)
1,164,280 (S)
1,047,081 (C)
1,012,610 (S)
Percentage4.8% (C)
4.4% (S)
4.6% (C)
4.5% (S)
3.5% (C)
3.9% (S)
SwingDecrease2.svg1.0 pp (C)
Decrease2.svg1.7 pp (S)
Increase2.svg0.1 pp (C)
Increase2.svg0.2 pp (S)
Increase2.svg0.5 pp (C)
Increase2.svg1.0 pp (S)

1958 Italian general election - Results.svg
1958 Italian general election - Seat Distribution.svg

Prime Minister before election

Adone Zoli
DC

Prime Minister after the election

Amintore Fanfani
DC

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.

Contents

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

PartyIdeologyLeaderSeats in 1953
CSTotal
Christian Democracy (DC) Christian democracy Amintore Fanfani
263
112
375
Italian Communist Party (PCI) Communism Palmiro Togliatti
143
52
195
Italian Socialist Party (PSI) Communism, Socialism Pietro Nenni
75
26
101
Monarchist National Party (PNM) Monarchism Alfredo Covelli
40
14
54
Italian Social Movement (MSI) Neo-fascism Arturo Michelini
29
9
38
Italian Democratic Socialist Party (PSDI) Social democracy Giuseppe Saragat
19
4
23
Italian Liberal Party (PLI) Conservative liberalism Giovanni Malagodi
13
3
16
Italian Republican Party (PRI) Republicanism Oronzo Reale
5
0
5
People's Monarchist Party (PMP) Monarchism Achille Lauro
New

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

Italian Chamber of Deputies 1958.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Christian Democracy 12,520,20742.35273+10
Italian Communist Party 6,704,45422.68140−3
Italian Socialist Party 4,206,72614.2384+9
Italian Social Movement 1,407,7184.7624−5
Italian Democratic Socialist Party 1,345,4474.5522+3
Italian Liberal Party 1,047,0813.5417+4
People's Monarchist Party 776,9192.6314New
Monarchist National Party 659,9972.2311−29
Italian Republican PartyRadical Party 405,7821.376+1
Community Movement 173,2270.591New
South Tyrolean People's Party 135,4910.4630
Movement for Piedmontese Regional Autonomy 70,5890.240New
Valdostan Union 30,5960.101New
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

ConstituencyTotal
seats
Seats won
DC PCI PSI MSI PSDI PLI PMP PNM PRIPR Others
Turin 2611642111
Cuneo 1482211
Genoa 21954111
Milan 39159713211
Como 148231
Brescia 19122311
Mantua 10532
Trentino 105113
Verona 291844111
Venice 169331
Udine 1482211
Bologna 2771041212
Parma 1977311
Florence 13562
Pisa 156531
Siena 9342
Ancona 19853111
Perugia 135431
Rome 391695411111
L'Aquila 17842111
Campobasso 6411
Naples 3414831116
Benevento 21104211111
Bari 22107311
Lecce 1894221
Potenza 84211
Catanzaro 2613631111
Catania 29136321211
Palermo 291363211111
Cagliari 1583211
Aosta Valley 11
Trieste 4211
Total59627314084242217141164

Senate of the Republic

Italian Senate 1958.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Christian Democracy 10,780,95441.23123+10
Italian Communist Party 5,700,95221.8059+8
Italian Socialist Party 3,682,94514.0835+9
Italian Democratic Socialist Party 1,164,2804.455+1
Italian Social Movement 1,150,0514.408−1
Italian Liberal Party 1,012,6103.874+1
People's Monarchist Party 774,2422.965New
Monarchist National Party 565,0452.162−14
Italian Republican PartyRadical Party 363,4621.3900
MSIPNM 291,3591.1100
PCIPSI 185,5570.7120
Community Movement 142,8970.550New
South Tyrolean People's Party 120,0680.4620
Movement for Piedmontese Regional Autonomy 61,0880.230New
PSIPSDI 43,1910.1700
Left-wing independents28,1410.111+1
Sardinian Action Party 25,9230.1000
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

ConstituencyTotal
seats
Seats won
DC PCI PSI MSI PSDI PMP PLI PNM Others
Piedmont 1894311
Aosta Valley 11
Lombardy 331667121
Trentino-Alto Adige 642
Veneto 2013331
Friuli-Venezia Giulia 6411
Liguria 8422
Emilia-Romagna 186831
Tuscany 16763
Umbria 6222
Marche 7421
Lazio 1784221
Abruzzo and Molise 8521
Campania 221052131
Apulia 1684211
Basilicata 642
Calabria 105311
Sicily 2210522111
Sardinia 642
Total2461235935855425

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.