First results from Italian election
{{date|April 10, 2006}}
[[Image:Berlusconi small2.jpg|frame|left|Incumbent PM Silvio Berlusconi.]]
<!--[[Image:Prodi.jpg|frame|right|The challenger, Romano Prodi.]]-->
On 9 and 10 April 2006, [[w:Italy|Italians]] voted to elect members of Parliament as well as the country's next Prime Minister. 

The election was fought mainly between coalitions: the centre-left [[w:L'Unione|L'Unione (The Union)]], led by [[w:Romano Prodi|Romano Prodi]], and the currently-ruling centre-right [[w:House of Freedoms|House of Freedoms]], led by incumbent Prime Minister [[w:Silvio Berlusconi|Silvio Berlusconi]].  Initial polls do not indicate a clear winner.

The main party in L'Unione is the [[w:Olive Tree|Federation of the Olive Tree]], and the House Of Freedoms' main party is Berlusconi's [[w:Forza Italia|Forza Italia]] party.

It is expected that no party will obtain an outright majority of seats. Polls closed on Monday at 3 p.m. [[w:Central_European_Summer_Time|CEST]]  (1300 [[w:Coordinated_Universal_Time|UTC]]).

According to Italian law, the Prime Minister must have the support of both houses of Parliament:  the Senate (the upper house) and the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house).


== Exit Polls ==

First Exit Polls of Nexus published by major newspapers at 15:00 (local time) give the following partial results:

[[w:L'Unione|L'Unione (The Union)]] Chamber (of Deputies): 50% - 54%
	
[[w:L'Unione|L'Unione (The Union)]] Senate: 50% - 54%
		
[[w:House of Freedoms|House of Freedoms]] Chamber (of Deputies): 45% - 49%
	
[[w:House of Freedoms|House of Freedoms]] Senate: 45% - 49%

Later exit polls showed [[w:House of Freedoms|House of Freedoms]] in the lead in both houses.

These are based on mock voting booths outside 1,050 polling stations across the country that are expected to be representative samples, where people can anonymously indicate how they voted. The margin of error on Nexus's exit polls is 2 percentage points.

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-04-09T133237Z_01_L07481135_RTRUKOC_0_US-ITALY.xml
|title=Italians vote in election that may oust Berlusconi
|author=
|pub=Reuters
|date=Apr 9, 2006
}}

<!-- wrong article, 2006-04-10 ~2100 UTC
*{{source|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/ats-ap_top13apr10,0,5822684.story
|title=Italians Deliver Verdict on Berlusconi
|author=Frances D'emilio
|pub=LA Times
|date=Apr 9, 2006
}} -->

[[Category:Elections]]
[[Category: Italy]]
[[Category: Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Italian Parliament]]

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{{Archive-unreviewed}}
<!-- Results like those on this page -->
[[de:Knapper Sieg für das Mitte-Links-Bündnis bei den italienischen Parlamentswahlen]]
[[fr:Élections parlementaires italiennes de 2006]]
[[it:Chiusi i seggi, i primi exit-poll]]
<!-- more general election page [[it:Elezioni politiche italiane 2006]] -->
[[pl:Wybory parlamentarne we Włoszech: Prodi przed Berlusconim]]
Incumbent PM Silvio Berlusconi.

On 9 and 10 April 2006, Italians voted to elect members of Parliament as well as the country's next Prime Minister. 

The election was fought mainly between coalitions: the centre-left L'Unione (The Union), led by Romano Prodi, and the currently-ruling centre-right House of Freedoms, led by incumbent Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.  Initial polls do not indicate a clear winner.

The main party in L'Unione is the Federation of the Olive Tree, and the House Of Freedoms' main party is Berlusconi's Forza Italia party.

It is expected that no party will obtain an outright majority of seats. Polls closed on Monday at 3 p.m. CEST  (1300 UTC).

According to Italian law, the Prime Minister must have the support of both houses of Parliament:  the Senate (the upper house) and the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house).


L'Unione (The Union) Chamber (of Deputies): 50% - 54%
	
L'Unione (The Union) Senate: 50% - 54%
		
House of Freedoms Chamber (of Deputies): 45% - 49%
	
House of Freedoms Senate: 45% - 49%

Later exit polls showed House of Freedoms in the lead in both houses.

These are based on mock voting booths outside 1,050 polling stations across the country that are expected to be representative samples, where people can anonymously indicate how they voted. The margin of error on Nexus's exit polls is 2 percentage points.


de:Knapper Sieg für das Mitte-Links-Bündnis bei den italienischen Parlamentswahlen
fr:Élections parlementaires italiennes de 2006
it:Chiusi i seggi, i primi exit-poll

pl:Wybory parlamentarne we Włoszech: Prodi przed Berlusconim
Elections  Italy  Politics and conflicts Europe Italian Parliament