Primary elections in Italy

Yesterday, 16 October 2005, Italy held the first primary elections of its constitutional history. The success was extraordinary as 4.2 millions electors turned up to cast their preference in favour of one of the candidates of the centre left coalition. The score is considerable if you take into account the fact that the whole italiam electorate amounts to 40 million people, thus giving the centre left electorate an average sum of 20 million people. This means that more than 20% of the centre left electorate actually went to vote.

The result was a clear confirmation of Romano Prodi, who won with a majority of 74.4% The second best voted was Bertinotti, the secretary of the post-communist party, with 14%.

This enormous success gives a boost to the centre left coalition in view of the national elections which will be held in April 2006.