Italian election 2022: Everything you need to know

We’ve got the rundown of everything you need to know about the vote.

How does the election work?

Italy will be electing 600 MPs, both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, in a mixed system between first past the post and proportional representation.

A total of 400 will be elected as deputies, made up of 147 from single member constituencies by first past the post, 245 from multi-member constituencies based on proportional representation and eight from Italians abroad based on proportional representation.

A further 200 members of the Senate will be elected with the proportions split 74-122-4.

Sounds complicated…

This is actually supposed to be a more streamlined way of running elections.

When the Italian constitution was written after World War II the system was almost entirely proportional representation – in part to stop a dictator like Benito Mussolini from being able to command power again.

The flip side of that though is instability – Italy has had 69 governments since 1945, an average of one about every 13 months.

The new system, implemented at the 2018 election, is designed to give more stability.

Did it work?

The last election resulted in a hung parliament, with the Five Star Movement – an anti-establishment party founded by comedian Beppe Grillo - as the biggest party but the right-wing coalition, led by the Lega, having the highest number of seats.

Five Star, the Lega and a number of independents came together to form a government under Giuseppe Conte, which was sworn in on June 1, 2018.

It lasted just over a year, with Five Star suffering declining polls, election results and defections to both sides of the political aisle – former M5S members currently represent Eurosceptic parties such as Alternativa and ItalExit in the Senate, as well as the Communist Party and the Communist Refoundation Party.

A second government under Conte, formed with the Partita Democratica (PD) lasted from August 2020 to January 2021.

When former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s Italia Viva party withdrew its support of the government, Conte resigned and in the midst of the Covid crisis a new ‘Government of National Unity’ was formed under Mario Draghi.

That lasted until July this year when M5S withdrew their support, Draghi resigned and a snap election was called.

So no, it didn’t work.

What are the big issues?

Much the same as in the UK.

Italy is very reliant on Russian gas and energy bills have been a big concern for voters.

The PD is proposing a national price cap and free renewable energy up to half of the average family bill, Fratelli d’Italia wants to open up new gas lines and build ‘re-gasification plants’, while the Lega are calling for Italy to explore “clean and safe nuclear power”.

Immigration has also been a key battleground, with over 140,000 refugees granted asylum in Italy in 2021.

Cultural issues have also been at the forefront, with Fratelli d’Italia calling for a boycott on Peppa Pig and other right-wing leaders calling the singing of anti-fascist anthem ‘Bella Ciao’ in schools left-wing propaganda.

Who is likely to win?

Polls have consistently shown the PD, headed by Enrico Letta, and upstart party Fratelli d’Italia as the biggest parties.

The latter, led by Meloni, will almost certainly head up any new government thanks to their membership of the so-called centre-right alliance.

That brings together FdI with the Lega, Noi Moderati (We Moderates) and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia.

Silvio Berlusconi (Image: Getty Images)

The PD is in a centre-left alliance with three smaller parties, but recent polling has that coalition on just 27.7 per cent of the vote as opposed to around 45.5 per cent for the centre-right parties.

Even a coalition with Five Star is unlikely to command a majority, so they’d be left to try and come to an agreement encompassing centrists, communists, socialists and anti-establishment parties. That seems unlikely.

What are Fratelli d’Italia’s positions?

The party has been described in various quarters as far-right and even neo-fascist, something Meloni has denied. Her case was not helped this week when the party was forced to sack a Sicilian party co-ordinator, Calogero Pisano, for comparing her to “a great statesman of 70 years ago” with the clarification he meant “a German” and not Mussolini.

Fratelli d’Italia has its roots in the Movimento Italiano Sociale (MSI) which was formed by loyalists to il Duce in 1946 and bears its tricolore flame logo.

It advocates a zero tolerance policy on illegal immigration, and wants to blockade Italian ports to prevent refugees from landing on the nation’s shores.

FdI also advocates boosting Italian birth rates to avoid reliance on immigration.

Benito Mussolini’s great-grandaughter Rachele is a councillor in Rome under the party’s banner, and il Duce’s great-great-grandson Caio Giulio Cesare Mussolini stood for the party in the 2019 European Parliament elections. Alessandra Mussolini, who famously clashed with Celtic fans, is a member of the centre-right coalition as a member of Forza Italia.

Meloni herself is anti-abortion, anti same-sex marriage and has called for the constitution of Italy to be changed to outlaw gay adoption.

She would note that the party did sack the organiser who praised Hitler, as well as condemning its Ascoli Piceno section for celebrating the anniversary of the March on Rome of 2019. She has described her party as “mainstream conservative”.