1958 Italian General Election
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All 138 electoral votes of the Electoral College 70 electoral votes votes needed to win | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 30.7%  10.6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1958 Italian general election was held in Italy on 14 October 1958. The number of MPs to be elected was calculated upon the population's size for the last time.
Historical background
editAfter the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, the Light-Red Coalition (PSDI-PSI-PCI), which has governed from 1948, with their majority decisively growing after the 1953 Italian general elections, no longer had a supermajority due to Stalinist defections from PCI and PSI and moderates disaffected by PSDI stance on Hungary (Ventitré). Additionally, Italians were disaffected by the government's inability to properly house the migrants and by the implications of the Siófok Incident. Before the elections, the estabilishment of the Anti-Imperialist League, widely acclaimed by labour unions and by workers, was considered by historians as a large success and some even suggested it had prevented a PIPC majority.[1]
Results
editThe Election had proven that the continuation of the Italian Government, in it's current form, was impossible, as shown by the results. Historians consider response to Hungary and social fatigue with the government to be the reasons of their loss. The biggest loser was Comsigtori, merger between the PCI and PSI agreed by Pietro Nenni and Giorgio Amendola, losing around 1/3 of their seats and dropping from the biggest to second largest in the parlament.[2] It is largely considered that IRP led by Oronzo Reale was the winner of the elections, with historical evidence showing that they had largely gained the votes of the left flank of DC and the Ventitré from PSDI. DC, led by Giuseppe Pella, had lost their status of official opposition party, winning only 56 seats, as opposed to 90 last election. Right-Wing PIPC had also gained 41 seats, becoming the largest opposition party, but not healing from their massive losses in the 1953 elections. PSIUP, a far-left stalinist splinter from the PCI and PSI, had also won 46 seats.
Coalition-forming
editEven with the results showing growing dissatisfaction towards the government, a right-wing majority government was impossible. Due to this, PM Giuseppe Saragat had originally planned to create a moderate Purple-Green-Light Blue government[3], comprised of his own PSDI and newcomers - IRP and DC. However, due to the pressure from CNCL and his own left flank, ultimately creating the Red-Purple-Green coalition, with Oronzo Reale as prime minister. A more leftist coalition was possible with the emergence of PSIUP, but was not seriously considered due to their Stalinist positions. The government was widely seen as more moderate due to inclusion of the IRP, both in Italy[4] and abroad.[5] Anthony Eden, Prime Minister of United Kingdom, was quoted as saying "The new Italian government is more sensible [...] but inclusion of the Comsigtori, or however they want to call themselves, means they will still push for same broken policies".[6]