The 2001 Italian general election was held in Italy on 13 May 2001 to elect members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. The election was won by the centre-right coalition House of Freedoms led by Silvio Berlusconi, defeating Francesco Rutelli, former mayor of Rome, and leader of the centre-left coalition The Olive Tree, and rising back to power after Berlusconi's first victory in the 1994 Italian general election.

Electoral system The election was regulated by the Mattarella law of 1993, also known as "Mattarellum".

The intricate electoral system, called scorporo, provided 75% of the seats on the Chamber of Deputies (the Lower House) as elected by first-past-the-post system, whereas the remaining 25% was assigned on proportional representation with a minimum threshold of 4%.

The method used for the Senate was even more complicated: 75% of seats by uninominal method, and 25% by a special proportional method that assigned the remaining seats to minority parties. Formally, these were examples of mixed-member majoritarian systems with partial compensation.

General election

Campaign For this election Berlusconi ran again for Prime Minister as leader of the centre-right House of Freedoms (), which included the Forza Italia, National Alliance, Northern League, Christian Democratic Centre, United Christian Democrats and other minor parties. The candidate for Prime Minister of the centre-left Olive Tree () was Francesco Rutelli, former mayor of Rome.

On the television interviews programme Porta a Porta, during the last days of the electoral campaign, Berlusconi created a powerful impression on the public by undertaking to sign a so-called Contratto con gli Italiani (), an idea copied outright by his advisor Luigi Crespi from the Newt Gingrich's Contract with America introduced six weeks before the 1994 US Congressional election, which was widely considered to be a creative masterstroke in his 2001 campaign bid for prime ministership. In this solemn agreement, Berlusconi claimed his commitment on improving several aspects of the Italian economy and life. Firstly, he undertook to simplify the complex tax system by introducing just two tax rates (33% for those earning over 100,000 euros, and 23% for anyone earning less than that figure: anyone earning less than 11,000 euros a year would not be taxed); secondly, he promised to halve the unemployment rate; thirdly, he undertook to finance and develop a massive new public works programme. Fourthly, he promised to raise the minimum monthly pension rate to 516 euros; and fifthly, he would suppress the crime wave by introducing police officers to patrol all local zones and areas in Italy's major cities. Berlusconi undertook to refrain from putting himself up for re-election in 2006 if he failed to honour at least four of these five promises.

Main coalitions and parties CoalitionParty Main ideologySeats Party leaderCoalition leader TotalThe Olive Tree Democrats of the Left (DS) Social democracy Massimo D'AlemaFrancesco Rutelli Democracy is Freedom (DL) Social liberalism, Christian left Francesco Rutelli The Sunflower (FdV–SDI) Green politics, social democracy Grazia Francescato Enrico Boselli Party of Italian Communists (PdCI) Communism Oliviero Diliberto South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) Regionalism Luis DurnwalderHouse of Freedoms Forza Italia (FI) Liberal conservatism Silvio BerlusconiSilvio Berlusconi National Alliance (AN) National conservatism Gianfranco Fini Northern League (LN) Regionalism Umberto Bossi White Flower (CCD–CDU) Christian democracy Pier Ferdinando Casini Italian Republican Party (PRI) Liberalism Giorgio La Malfa New Italian Socialist Party (NPSI) Social democracy Gianni De MichelisCommunist Refoundation Party (PRC) Communism Fausto BertinottiEuropean Democracy (DE) Christian democracy Sergio D'AntoniBonino List (LB) Liberalism Emma BoninoTricolour Flame (FT) Neo-fascism Pino RautiItaly of Values (IdV) Anti-corruption politics Antonio Di Pietro

Results

Chamber of Deputies Overall results + CoalitionPartyProportionalFirst-past-the-postTotal seats +/–Votes % SeatsVotes % SeatsHouse of FreedomsForza Italia (FI)10,923,43129.436216,915,51345.57132194Including one deputy of the Italian Republican Party+71National Alliance (AN)4,463,20512.02247599+6Northern League (LN)1,464,3013.9403030−29 1,194,0403.2204040+10 New Italian Socialist Party (NPSI)353,2690.95033New Sardinian Reformers (RS)011+1 New Sicily (NS)011NewTotal seats86 282368–The Olive TreeDemocrats of the Left (DS)6,151,15416.573116,019,38843.15105136−36Democracy is Freedom (DL)5,391,82714.52275683−12The Sunflower (FdV–SDI)805,3402.1701717–Party of Italian Communists (PdCI)620,8591.6701010New)200,0590.54033±0With Illy for Trieste78,2840.21011NewTotal seats58 192250–Communist Refoundation Party (PRC)1,868,6595.0311011−24Aosta Valley (VdA)025,5770.0711±0Others3,745,2779.7304,162,29811.2100−1Total37,259,705100.0015537,122,776100.00475630

Proportional and FPTP results In 2001 the proportional list exhausted before all the deputies – which the winning party was entitled to – were declared elected.

+First-past-the-postParty or coalitionVotes%Seats House of Freedoms (CdL) 16,915,513 45.57 282 The Olive Tree (Ulivo) 16,019,388 43.15 183 Italy of Values (IdV) 1,487,287 4.01 0 European Democracy (DE) 1,310,119 3.53 0 Bonino List (LB) 457,117 1.23 0 South Tyrolean People's Party–The Olive Tree 190,556 0.51 5 South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) 173,735 0.47 3 Venetian Front League (LFV) 173,618 0.47 0 Tricolour Flame (FT) 121,527 0.33 0 With Illy for Trieste 78,284 0.21 1 La Bassa in the Parliament 26,151 0.07 0 Aosta Valley (VdA) 25,577 0.07 1 Autonomist Socialists 24,341 0.07 0 Democrats of the Left (Aosta Valley) 20,452 0.06 0 Southern Action League (LAM) 19,366 0.05 0 Buonanno 19,046 0.05 0 National Social Front (FSN) 16,202 0.04 0 Forza Italia – Northern League (Aosta Valley) 16,049 0.04 0 European Republicans Movement (MRE) 15,600 0.04 0 European Populars 13,447 0.04 0 Greens Greens 13,220 0.04 0 Amadu List 12,233 0.03 0 New Italian Socialist Party (NPSI) 9,663 0.03 0 Movement of Freedoms 9,006 0.02 0 Camonica Valley – Basta! 8,257 0.02 0 People's List 8,091 0.02 0 Movement for the Confederation of the Communists 6,777 0.02 0 Alternative List 6,612 0.02 0 New Force (FN) 6,294 0.02 0 We Sicilians 6,121 0.02 0 National Alliance (Aosta Valley) 4,464 0.01 0 Third Pole for Autonomy 3,491 0.01 0 Upper Milanese People 1,409 0.00 0Total 37,259,705 100.00 475Source: Ministry of the Interior + ProportionalPartyVotes%Seats Forza Italia (FI) 10,923,431 29.43 62 Democrats of the Left (DS) 6,151,154 16.57 31 Democracy is Freedom (DL) 5,391,827 14.52 27 National Alliance (AN) 4,463,205 12.02 24 Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) 1,868,659 5.03 11 Northern League (LN) 1,464,3013.94 0 Italy of Values (IdV) 1,443,725 3.89 0 White Flower (CCD–CDU) 1,194,040 3.22 0 European Democracy (DE) 888,269 2.39 0 Bonino List (LB) 832,213 2.24 0 The Sunflower (FdV–SDI) 805,340 2.17 0 Party of Italian Communists (PdCI) 620,859 1.67 0 New Italian Socialist Party (NPSI) 353,269 0.95 0 South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) 200,059 0.54 0 Tricolour Flame (FT) 143,963 0.39 0 Venetian Front League (LFV) 74,353 0.20 0 Pensioners' Party (PP) 68,349 0.18 0 Sardinian Action Party–Sardigna Natzione (PSd'Az–SN) 34,412 0.09 0 New Country 34,193 0.09 0 Abolizione Scorporo 26,917 0.07 0 Southern Action League (LAM) 23,779 0.06 0 National Social Front (FSN) 22,985 0.06 0 Greens Greens 18,262 0.05 0 New Force (FN) 13,622 0.04 0 Amadu List 11,517 0.03 0 European Republicans Movement (MRE) 7,997 0.02 0 We Sicilians (NS) 7,637 0.02 0 Movement of Freedoms 6,754 0.02 0 Free and Strong 6,722 0.02 0 Autonomist Socialists 6,492 0.02 0 Basta! 6,332 0.02 0 Movement for the Confederation of the Communists 5,244 0.01 0 Third Pole for Autonomy 2,915 0.01 0Total 37,122,776 100.00 155Invalid/blank/unassigned votes2,962,621––Total40,085,397––Registered voters/turnout49,256,29581.38–Source: Ministry of the Interior

FPTP and proportional results by constituency ConstituencyTotalseatsSeats wonCdLUlivoAbruzzo1156Aosta Valley11Apulia342212Basilicata55Calabria17116Campania 1251510Campania 222148Emilia-Romagna32230Friuli-Venezia Giulia1082Lazio 1321319Lazio 21111Liguria1459Lombardy 131292Lombardy 23232Lombardy 31192Marche12210Molise321Piedmont 119415Piedmont 217161Sardinia1495Sicily 12020Sicily 22121Trentino-Alto Adige88Tuscany29227Umbria77Veneto 122202Veneto 215105Total475282193

ConstituencyTotalseatsSeats wonCdLUlivoPRCAbruzzo321Apulia10631Basilicata211Calabria633Campania 19531Campania 27421Emilia-Romagna9441Friuli-Venezia Giulia321Lazio 110451Lazio 2431Liguria6231Lombardy 110541Lombardy 210541Lombardy 3431Marche422Molise11Piedmont 16411Piedmont 2642Sardinia422Sicily 1752Sicily 2743Trentino-Alto Adige211Tuscany10541Umbria22Veneto 18431Veneto 2532Total155865811

Senate of the Republic

Overall results

+ CoalitionPartyFirst-past-the-postProportional (Seats)Total seats +/–Votes % SeatsHouse of FreedomsForza Italia (FI)14.406.51942.571522482+40National Alliance (AN)45+2 29+4Northern League (LN)17−10 Italian Republican Party (PRI)1+1 New Italian Socialist Party (NPSI)1New Tricolour Flame (FT)Tricolour Flame made electoral agreements with the House of Freedoms in some constituencies in Sicily.1–Total seats176–The Olive TreeIncluding the results of SVP and SVP–Olive Tree.Democrats of the Left (DS)13,282,495Including 175,635 votes for the SVP–Olive Tree39.22Including 0.52% of the vote for the SVP–Olive Tree.725164−38Democracy is Freedom (DL)43−5Federation of the Greens (FdV)8−6Italian Democratic Socialists (SDI)6–Party of Italian Communists (PdCI)2New1–Independent candidates4–Total seats128–Communist Refoundation Party (PRC)1,708,7075.04044−6European Democracy (DE)1,066,9083.15022NewItaly of Values (IdV)1,140,4893.37011NewBonino List (LB)677,7252.00000−1308,5590.91011+1 Tricolour Flame (FT)340,2211.00000−1Venetian Front League (LFV)138,1340.41000NewSouth Tyrolean People's Party (SVP)126.1770.37202±0Va' pensiero Padania119,0580.35000NewNational Social Front (FSN)98,1320.29000NewAutonomist Socialists – European Democracy (SA–DE)79,0020.23000NewPensioners' Party (PP)39,5450.12000±0New Force (FN)78,5720.23000NewGreens Greens35,7430.11000±0Sardinian Action Party – Sardigna Natzione (PSd'Az–SN)32,8220.10000−1Aosta Valley (VdA)32,4290.10011±0Filograna List for Salento21,8570.06000NewWe Sicilians (NS)20,7610.06000±0Southern Action League (LAM)19,9140.06000±0Basta!19,9130.06000NewLiberal Popular Party10,3010.03000NewAmadu List9,2030.03000NewAlternative List7,7040.02000–Forza Chiappetta6,9320.02000NewDie Freiheitlichen (dF)5,3540.02000–Franco Greco List4,2840.01000NewMovement of Freedoms4,0230.01000NewThird Pole for Autonomy2,3920.01000NewMovement for the Confederation of the Communists2.1590.01000NewJustice and Progress9500.00000NewGrand Ducal Tuscany6250.00000NewItalian Constitutional Party (PACI)1750.00000NewIndependents4,9750.02000NewTotal32,624,584100.0023283315±0Source: Ministry of the Interior

FPTP and proportional results by constituency ConstituencyTotalseatsSeats wonCdLUlivoOthersPiedmont17125Aosta Valley11Lombardy35332Trentino-Alto Adige615Veneto17161Friuli-Venezia Giulia55Liguria624Emilia-Romagna15114Tuscany14113Umbria55Marche624Lazio21156Abruzzo541Molise211Campania22148Apulia16151Basilicata55Calabria862Sicily2020Sardinia642Total232152791

ConstituencyTotalseatsSeats wonUlivoCdLPRCOthersPiedmont642Lombardy12912Trentino-Alto Adige11Veneto66Friuli-Venezia Giulia22Liguria312Emilia-Romagna651Tuscany541Umbria22Marche211Lazio752Abruzzo22Campania84211Apulia66Basilicata22Calabria33Sicily761Sardinia321Total83512444

Leaders' races