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Elections in Italy in June....

EUOBSERVER / EP-elections 2004 - The political rivalry between Italy’s Premier Silvio Berlusconi and his arch rival Commission President Romano Prodi has been the top attraction in the past few months in the run up to the European Parliamentary elections.

Italians will vote on the 12-13 of June, coinciding with administrative elections, so turnout for the European elections should be good as voting is compulsory.

In 1999, 70.8% turned out while 74.8% voted in 1994.

Centre-left lists Mr Prodi has been the driving force behind the single list for centre-left parties, which was set up for these elections. This move has led to criticism from Italy’s governing coalition, particularly Mr Berlusconi himself, who last month called for Mr Prodi to resign from his post as Commission President.

Rumours have been circulating that Mr Prodi would himself stand for the European parliament elections, but he has continuously insisted that he intends to stay on in his post as Commission President until the end of the term in October.

The centre-left list "Uniti nell’Ulivo, per l’Europa" will be made up of only four Italian parties, which are currently affiliated to different groups in the European parliament – the Democrats of the Left (PSE), the Margherita (EPP and Liberals), the Italian Social Democrats (PSE and ELDR) and the European Republican Movement (ELDR). However, this list is not thought to be enough to beat the governing coalition at the next elections.

Discussions are ongoing on the possibility that these parties would join the same group in the European parliament after elections, but the Democrats of the Left are expected to remain part of the European Socialist group.

Former Italian judge Antonio Di Pietro, who helped initiate the 'Clean hands' corruption inquiry in 1992, intends to run again in the June elections. Although discussions have been held with the parties in the so-called Prodi list, Mr Di Pietro has formed his own centre-left list with Achille Occhetto, former leader of the social democratic Party of the Democratic Left (PDS). Together with the "Uniti nell'Ulivo" list, they hope to present themselves as an alternative to Mr Berlusconi's coalition.

No common list for House of Freedoms coalition Silvio Berlusconi, whose centre-right coalition did not agree to set up a single list for the European Parliament elections, announced his decision to run himself for the elections, although he will not take a seat in the European Parliament if elected.

His move is seen as a bid to increase the votes for his party Forza Italia as Italy faces local administrative elections in June.

However, things do not appear so bright for Italy’s Premier. A poll published in the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera on 9 March showed that the majority of respondents, 50.5 percent would vote for the country’s centre left opposition while 45 percent said they would vote for the centre-right bloc if general elections were held now.

Incompatibility Only one Italian woman has made it into the EPP, Amalia Sartori. The other 33 MEPs representing Italy are all men.

Italy's ex-agriculture minister Alfonso Pecoraro Scania, is expected to run on the list of the Greens, which currently have only two MEPs elected in the European parliament.

Various prominent MEPs from the Emma Bonino List, are expected to run again in June's elections. In this list, currently made up of seven MEPs, are former European Commissioner Emma Bonino, Olivier Dupuis who has undergone hungerstrikes in order to bring awareness to the situation in Chechnya, and Marco Cappato, who is popular for his report on privacy in electronic communication and is a campaigner in favour of laxing rules against drug use.

Due to enlargement, Italy will elect 78 MEPs in June, instead of the present 87.

Number of MEPs to be elected: 78 Election day: 12-13 June 2004 Turnout in EP-elections 1999: 70.8% Turnout in latest national election 13 may 2001: 81.3 % (percentage constituencies and proportional)

Distribution of current MEPs in the European Parliament:
34 PPE-ED Forza Italia
(22) - Unione democratico cristiana
(5) - Partito popolare italiano
(4) - Südtiroler Volkspartei (Partito popolare sudtirolese)
(1) - Partito Pensionati
(1) - Rinnovamento italiano - Dini (1)
16 PSE Democratici di Sinistra (15) - Socialisti democratici italiani (1)
8 ELDR I Democratici (4) - Socialisti democratici italiani (1) - Movimento Repubblicani Europei (1) - Italia dei Valori - Lista Di Pietro (2)
6 GUE/NGL Partito della rifondazione comunista (4) - Partito dei Comunisti Italiani (2) 2 Verts/ALE Federazione dei Verdi
10 UEN Alleanza nazionale (9) - Patto Segni (1) - EDD 11 NI Lista Emma Bonino (7) - Lega Nord per l'indipendenza della Padania (3) - Pietro-Paolo Mennea (1)
87 total (to be reduced to 78 MEPs due to enlargement of the European Union) Other Italian lists/parties: Nuovo Partito Socialista Italiano (conservative), Democrazia Europea (European Democracy), Movimento Sociale Fiamma Tricolore (fascist), Union Valdôtaine (regionalist)