2015 Italian presidential election

The 2015 Italian presidential election was held on 29–31 January, following the resignation of President Giorgio Napolitano on 14 January 2015. The office was held at the time of the election by Senate President Pietro Grasso in an acting capacity. Only members of Italian Parliament and regional delegates are entitled to vote. As head of state of the Italian Republic, the President has a role of representation of national unity and guarantees that Italian politics comply with the Italian Constitution, in the framework of a parliamentary system.

2015 Italian presidential election

← 2013 29–31 January 2015 2022 →

1,009 voters
(321 senators, 630 deputies and 58 regional delegates)
673 (1st–3rd ballots) or 505 (4th ballot onwards) votes needed to win
 
Nominee Sergio Mattarella Ferdinando Imposimato
Party Independent Independent
Electoral vote 665 127
Percentage 65.91% 12.58%

Result on the fourth ballot
(31 January 2015)

  Mattarella 665   Others 212

  Invalids, blanks, abstentions 132

President before election

Giorgio Napolitano
Independent

Elected President

Sergio Mattarella
Independent

On 31 January, at the fourth round of voting, the Judge of the Constitutional Court and former Deputy Prime Minister Sergio Mattarella was elected President of the Italian Republic with 665 votes out of 1,009.

Procedure

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In accordance with the Italian Constitution, the election is held in the form of a secret ballot, with the Senators, the Deputies and 58 regional representatives entitled to vote. The election is held in the Palazzo Montecitorio, home of the Chamber of Deputies, with the capacity of the assembly room expanded for the purpose. The first three ballots require a two-thirds majority of the 1,009 voters in order to elect a President, or 673 votes. Starting from the fourth ballot, an absolute majority is required for candidates to be elected, or 505 votes. The presidential mandate lasts seven years.[citation needed]

The election was presided over by the President of the Chamber of Deputies Laura Boldrini, who proceeded to the public counting of the votes, and by the Acting President of the Senate Valeria Fedeli, instead of President Pietro Grasso who was serving as Acting President of the Republic since 14 January.[citation needed]

Electoral college

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Electors per parliamentary group (including the regional delegates) were divided as follows:

Composition of the electoral college
 
Party Members
(total)
Members Share
MPs
(Chamber and Senate)

Regional
delegates
Democratic Party (PD) 445 415 30 44.1%
Forza Italia (FI) 143 130 13 14.1%
Five Star Movement (M5S) 129 128 1 12.8%
Popular Area (NCD/UdC) 74 70 4 7.3%
Lega Nord (LN) 38 35 3 3.8%
Left Ecology Freedom (SEL) 34 33 1 3.4%
Civic Choice (SC) 32 32 0 3.2%
Others 114 108 6 11.3%
Total 1,009 951 58 100.0%

Proposed candidates

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These candidates were officially proposed as president and voted in at least one ballot, by parties, coalitions or parliamentary groups which took part in the election.

Elected president

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Portrait Name Party Office(s) held Region of birth Profession(s) Supporting party or coalition Ref.
  Sergio Mattarella
(born 1941)
Independent Judge of the Constitutional Court
(2011–2015)
Other offices
  Sicily Jurist PDNCD
SCCDDemoS
[1]
[2]

Other candidates

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Portrait Name Party Office(s) held Region of birth Profession(s) Supporting party or coalition Ref.
  Luciana Castellina
(born 1929)
Left Ecology Freedom Member of the European Parliament
(1979–1999)
Other offices
  Lazio Journalist SEL [3]
  Vittorio Feltri
(born 1943)
Independent None   Lombardy Journalist LegaFdI [4]
  Ferdinando Imposimato
(1936–2018)
Independent Member of the Senate
(1987–1992; 1994–1996)
Other offices
  Campania Magistrate M5S [1]

Results

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First ballot (29 January)

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Candidate Party Votes
Ferdinando Imposimato Independent 120
Vittorio Feltri Independent 49
Luciana Castellina Left Ecology Freedom 37
Emma Bonino Italian Radicals 25
Stefano Rodotà Independent 23
Gabriele Albertini New Centre-Right 14
Claudio Sabelli Fioretti Independent 11
Romano Prodi Independent 9
Mauro Morelli Independent 9
Massimo Caleo Democratic Party 8
Marcello Gualdani New Centre-Right 6
Pier Luigi Bersani Democratic Party 5
Sergio Mattarella Independent 5
Lucio Barani New Italian Socialist Party 4
Giuseppe Scognamiglio Independent 4
Agostino Marianetti Independent 3
Antonio Martino Forza Italia 3
Ricardo Antonio Merlo MAIE 3
Ignazio Messina Italy of Values 3
Paolo Mieli Independent 3
Giuseppe Pagano New Centre-Right 3
Antonello Zitelli Independent 3
Dario Ballini D'Amato Independent 2
Anna Finocchiaro Democratic Party 2
Ezio Greggio Independent 2
Others 48
Blank votes 538
Invalid votes 33

Second ballot (30 January)

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Candidate Party Votes
Ferdinando Imposimato Independent 123
Vittorio Feltri Independent 51
Luciana Castellina Left Ecology Freedom 34
Emma Bonino Italian Radicals 23
Stefano Rodotà Independent 22
Claudio Sabelli Fioretti Independent 14
Marcello Gualdani New Centre-Right 10
Giuseppe Pagano New Centre-Right 7
Santo Versace Independent 6
Romano Prodi Independent 5
Paola Severino Independent 5
Sergio Mattarella Independent 4
Antonio Razzi Forza Italia 4
Gian Carlo Sangalli Democratic Party 4
Ezio Greggio Independent 3
Mauro Guerra Democratic Party 3
Ignazio Messina Italy of Values 3
Lucio Barani New Italian Socialist Party 2
Pier Luigi Bersani Democratic Party 2
Luciano Cimmino Civic Choice 2
Anna Finocchiaro Democratic Party 2
Franco Frattini Independent 2
Agostino Marianetti Independent 2
Giuseppe Scognamiglio Independent 2
Others 61
Blank votes 531
Invalid votes 26

Third ballot (30 January)

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Candidate Party Votes
Ferdinando Imposimato Independent 126
Vittorio Feltri Independent 56
Luciana Castellina Left Ecology Freedom 33
Emma Bonino Italian Radicals 23
Stefano Rodotà Independent 22
Lucio Barani New Italian Socialist Party 21
Giuseppe Pagano New Centre-Right 11
Claudio Sabelli Fioretti Independent 8
Marcello Gualdani New Centre-Right 7
Mauro Guerra Democratic Party 5
Francesco Guccini Independent 4
Luigi Manconi Democratic Party 5
Sergio Mattarella Independent 4
Giovanni Malagò Independent 4
Ignazio Messina Italy of Values 3
Antonio Palmieri Forza Italia 3
Angelo Perrino Independent 3
Romano Prodi Independent 3
Ernesto Abaterusso Democratic Party 2
Pier Ferdinando Casini Union of the Centre 2
Michele Emiliano Democratic Party 2
Franco Frattini Independent 2
Ezio Greggio Independent 2
Luigi Marino Independent 2
Vincenzo Olita Independent 2
Antonio Razzi Forza Italia 2
Pasquale Sollo Democratic Party 2
Andrea Vecchio Civic Choice 2
Others 70
Blank votes 513
Invalid votes 27

Fourth ballot (31 January)

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Candidate Party Votes
 Y Sergio Mattarella Independent 665
Ferdinando Imposimato Independent 127
Vittorio Feltri Independent 46
Stefano Rodotà Independent 17
Emma Bonino Italian Radicals 2
Antonio Martino Forza Italia 2
Giorgio Napolitano Independent 2
Romano Prodi Independent 2
Others 14
Blank votes 105
Invalid votes 13

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Giada Zampano, "Lawmakers in Italy Fail to Elect President in First Round of Voting", The Wall Street Journal, 29 January 2015.
  2. ^ Alessandro Sala, "Quirinale, il Pd sceglie Mattarella", Corriere della Sera, 29 January 2015.
  3. ^ "#Quirinale. Chi è Luciana Castellina, ipotesi primo voto di Sel (foto)", La Repubblica, 28 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Quirinale, Salvini e Meloni propongono Feltri", RAI News, 29 January 2015.