By a very slim margin Beppe Grillo's Five Star Movement is the largest political party in Italy. Young voters and first-time voters are responsible (see comments from "AC" below)

Here are the official election results.

Chamber

  • GIUSEPPE PIERO GRILLO - MOVIMENTO 5 STELLE - 8,689.168 - 25.55%
  • PIER LUIGI BERSANI - PARTITO DEMOCRATICO - 8,644,187 Votes - 25.42%   
  • SILVIO BERLUSCONI - IL POPOLO DELLA LIBERTA' - 7.332.667 Votes - 21.56%
  • MARIO MONTI - SCELTA CIVICA CON MONTI PER L'ITALIA - 2,824,001 Votes - 8.30%

Bersani gets 55% of the Chamber seats because his center-left coalition barely beat Berlusconi's center-right coalition by a 29.54% to 29.18% margin otherwise Berlusconi would be courting Beppe Grillo (likely to no avail) to form a coalition.

Senate

  • PIER LUIGI BERSANI - PARTITO DEMOCRATICO - 8,399,991 Votes - 27.43%
  • GIUSEPPE PIERO GRILLO - MOVIMENTO 5 STELLE - 7,285,648 - 23.79%
  • SILVIO BERLUSCONI - IL POPOLO DELLA LIBERTA' - 6,829,135 Votes - 22.30%
  • MARIO MONTI - SCELTA CIVICA CON MONTI PER L'ITALIA - 2,797,451 Votes - 9.13%

The center-left received a higher percentage of votes than the center-right by a 31.63% to 30.72% margin. However, Senate seats are assigned based on regional totals and the result will be something like a 119 to 117 spit with the Five Star Movement picking up 54 Seats. A majority takes 158 so no coalition is likely.

Comments From "AC"

Reader "AC" who is from Italy but now lives in France writes ...
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Mike Shedlock

Mike Shedlock

Mike Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for Sitka Pacific Capital Management.

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5 Comments So Far
MoreFreedom Wrote: Feb 27, 2013 11:42 AM
This shows that a new party can arise to compete with the existing major parties. I'm not familiar with the positions of these parties, but it appears that citizens have quickly changed to believe the major parties are both bad for the country.

Perhaps we'll have something similar occur here, with the libertarian leaning politicians leading the new party. Or perhaps they'll take over the GOP. The Tea Party had a big impact in 2010, but not so much in 2012 with mostly choices between statist candidates and no limited government option.

I look forward to the 2014 primaries where I hope the R voters kick big government RINOs out of office, or else they lose in the general election.
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damnyankeeCarol Wrote: Feb 27, 2013 7:56 AM
How long before the youth of these countries realize there is no such thing as a free lunch? Will they give away all their power, all their freedoms for pie in the sky promises?
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Fred_PA_2000 Wrote: Feb 27, 2013 10:56 AM
Childhood conditions one to expect care & protection from the adults. What these young people have missed is that they are now adults. The burden of all that caring & protection will now fall directly on their shoulders. Normally, that would be caring & protection for their own children. But having spent that coin on caring & protection for other adults -- especially the elderly -- they likely will find a family of their own too great a burden. The politicians who conned them are giggling all the way to the bank.
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badgerpat Wrote: Feb 27, 2013 4:29 PM
What? The point was that the young people were voting in large numbers for the 5 Star party. The 5 Star party stands, at a high level, for limited government and smaller budgets. You shouldn't rip people for voting for particular parties when you don't know what the parties stand for.
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Fred_PA_2000 Wrote: Feb 27, 2013 5:41 PM
Ouch! Assuming you are correct, then yes, I stepped in it. Getting corrected hurts, but I guess it's better than continuing in one's errors.
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