From Ciampi to Napolitano

Abstract

Coming so soon after the exceptionally hard-fought and controversial general election, the 2006 Italian presidential election took place in a particularly tense political climate. The center-right—and, in particular, its leader Silvio Berlusconi—attempted to use the election to exploit the internal tensions within the new parliamentary majority and accused the center-left of attempting to “occupy” the institutions of the state. Moreover, the determination of the Democratici di Sinistra (DS, Left Democrats) to elect one of its own leaders as head of state limited the center-left’s room for maneuver. Given this state of affairs, the solution of a bipartisan compromise (such as that in October 1999, which had allowed Carlo Azeglio Ciampi to be elected in the first round of voting) was impossible. The risk of a long series of ballots was therefore obvious and would have increased political tension and seriously tested the cohesion of the ruling coalition. Despite its heterogeneity, the center-left nevertheless managed, without enormous difficulty, to agree on the candidacy of Giorgio Napolitano, who was duly elected on 10 May in the fourth round of voting with the unanimous support of all components of the center-left (the electors from the center-right, divided on the best tactic to adopt, cast blank votes).