2013 Italian general election
The 2013 Italian general election was held on 24 and 25 February 2013 to determine the 630 members of the Chamber of Deputies and the 315 elective members of the Senate of the Republic for the 17th Italian Parliament. The centre-left alliance Italy Common Good, led by the Democratic Party (PD), obtained a clear majority of seats in the Chamber of Deputies thanks to a majority bonus that effectively trebled the number of seats assigned to the winning force and narrowly defeated the centre-right alliance of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in the popular vote. Close behind, the new anti-establishment Five Star Movement of comedian Beppe Grillo became the third force, well ahead of the centrist coalition of outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti. In the Senate, no political group or party won an outright majority, resulting in a hung parliament.
Image: Berlusconi 2010 1
Image: Beppe Grillo 3
Pier Luigi Bersani with the president of Emilia-Romagna Vasco Errani during the electoral campaign
Beppe Grillo in Trento during the electoral campaign
Chamber of Deputies (Italy)
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the bicameral Italian Parliament, the upper house being the Senate of the Republic. The two houses together form a perfect bicameral system, meaning they perform identical functions, but do so separately. The Chamber of Deputies has 400 seats, of which 392 will be elected from Italian constituencies, and 8 from Italian citizens living abroad. Deputies are styled The Honourable and meet at Palazzo Montecitorio.
Chamber of Deputies (Italy)
The Palazzo Montecitorio
Obelisk of Montecitorio. In the background is the Italian Chamber of Deputies.
Back side of Palazzo Montecitorio, designed by architect Ernesto Basile