# 2004 European Parliament election in Italy

The 2004 European Parliament election in Italy was held on 12 and 13 June 2004.
Italy's highly fragmented party system made it hard to identify an overall trend, but the results were generally seen as a defeat for Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and a victory for the centre-left opposition coalition identified with Romano Prodi, who was President of the European Commission until 2004, and was widely expected to re-enter Italian politics at the next election.
The common list of The Olive Tree, comprising mainly the Democrats of the Left and The Daisy became the largest list, with an important psychological effect. However, expectations for this list were originally somewhat larger, and Massimo D'Alema had proclaimed that "If the unity list reaches 33%, the government has to go".
While the Olive Tree's performance was not as phenomenal as it had hoped, the test indicated a somewhat reduced support for the centre-right coalition. However, in European elections, Italians tend to vote in a more candidate-oriented way, giving their vote more easily to a candidate outside their usual party; this generally reduces the significance of these elections.

## Electoral system

The pure party-list proportional representation was the traditional electoral system of the Italian Republic since its foundation in 1946, so it had been adopted to elect the Italian representatives to the European Parliament too.
Two levels were used: a national level to divide seats between parties, and a constituency level to distribute them between candidates. Italian regions were united in 5 constituencies, each electing a group of deputies.
At national level, seats were divided between party lists using the largest remainder method with Hare quota. All seats gained by each party were automatically distributed to their local open lists and their most voted candidates.

## Main parties and leaders
### Outgoing MEPs

| EP Group | Seats | Party | MEPs |
| European People's Party–European Democrats | 34 / 87 |
| European People's Party–European Democrats | 34 / 87 | Forza Italia | 22 |
| European People's Party–European Democrats | 34 / 87 | Union of Christian and Centre Democrats | 4 |
| European People's Party–European Democrats | 34 / 87 | The Daisy | 4 |
| European People's Party–European Democrats | 34 / 87 | Union of Democrats for Europe | 2 |
| European People's Party–European Democrats | 34 / 87 | Pensioners' Party | 1 |
| European People's Party–European Democrats | 34 / 87 | South Tyrolean People's Party | 1 |
| Socialist Group in the European Parliament | 16 / 87 |
| Socialist Group in the European Parliament | 16 / 87 | Democrats of the Left | 15 |
| Socialist Group in the European Parliament | 16 / 87 | Italian Democratic Socialists | 1 |
| Union for Europe of the Nations | 10 / 87 |
| Union for Europe of the Nations | 10 / 87 | National Alliance | 9 |
| Union for Europe of the Nations | 10 / 87 | Segni Pact | 1 |
| European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group | 8 / 87 |
| European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group | 8 / 87 | The Daisy | 4 |
| European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group | 8 / 87 | Italy of Values | 2 |
| European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group | 8 / 87 | European Republicans Movement | 1 |
| European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Group | 8 / 87 | New Italian Socialist Party | 1 |
| European United Left–Nordic Green Left | 6 / 87 |
| European United Left–Nordic Green Left | 6 / 87 | Communist Refoundation Party | 4 |
| European United Left–Nordic Green Left | 6 / 87 | Party of Italian Communists | 2 |
| Greens–European Free Alliance | 2 / 87 | Federation of the Greens | 2 |
| Non-Inscrits | 11 / 87 |
| Non-Inscrits | 11 / 87 | Bonino List | 7 |
| Non-Inscrits | 11 / 87 | Northern League | 3 |
| Non-Inscrits | 11 / 87 | Independent | 1 |

### Summary of parties

| Party | Main ideology | Leader | European party | Outgoing MEPs |
| The Olive Tree Democrats of the Left (DS) Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (DL) Italian Democratic Socialists (SDI) European Republicans Movement (MRE) | Several Social democracy Social liberalism Social democracy Social liberalism | Romano Prodi Piero Fassino Francesco Rutelli Enrico Boselli Luciana Sbarbati | Several PES EDP PES ELDR | 25 / 78 |
| Forza Italia (FI) | Liberal conservatism | Silvio Berlusconi | EPP | 22 / 78 |
| National Alliance (AN) | National conservatism | Gianfranco Fini | AEN | 9 / 78 |
| Bonino List | Libertarianism | Emma Bonino | None | 7 / 78 |
| Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC) | Christian democracy | Pier Ferdinando Casini | EPP | 4 / 78 |
| Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) | Communism | Fausto Bertinotti | PEL | 4 / 78 |
| Northern League (LN) | Regionalism | Umberto Bossi | None | 3 / 78 |
| Party of Italian Communists (PdCI) | Communism | Oliviero Diliberto | PEL | 2 / 78 |
| Federation of the Greens (FdV) | Green politics | Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio | EGP | 2 / 78 |
| Di Pietro–Occhetto List | Populism | Antonio Di Pietro Achille Occhetto | None | 2 / 78 |
| Union of Democrats for Europe (UDEUR) | Christian democracy | Clemente Mastella | EPP | 2 / 78 |
| United Socialists for Europe | Social democracy | Gianni De Michelis Claudio Signorile | None | 1 / 78 |
| Pensioners' Party (PP) | Pensioners' interests | Carlo Fatuzzo | ED | 1 / 78 |
| Tricolour Flame (FT) | Neo-fascism | Luca Romagnoli | None | 0 / 78 |
| Social Alternative (AS) | Neo-fascism | Alessandra Mussolini | None | 0 / 78 |

## Results

← Summary of the 13 June 2004 European Parliament election results in Italy → :
| Party | Party | Party | EP group | Main candidate | Votes | % | +/– | Seats | +/– |
| | | The Olive Tree Democrats of the Left (DS) Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy (DL) Independent candidates Italian Democratic Socialists (SDI) European Republicans Movement (MRE) | PES ALDE PES PES ALDE | Lilli Gruber | 10,105,836 | 31.08 | 1.53 | 24 12 7 2 2 1 | 3 4 0 2 New |
| | | South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP) | EPP-ED | Michl Ebner | 146,357 | 0.45 | 0.05 | 1 | 0 |
| | | Federalism (Valdostan Union – others) | None | | 29,598 | 0.09 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 |
| | Total | Total | Mixed | | 10,281,791 | 31.62 | 2.62 | 25 | 2 |
| | Forza Italia (FI) | Forza Italia (FI) | EPP-ED | Silvio Berlusconi | 6,806,245 | 20.93 | 4.23 | 16 | 6 |
| | National Alliance (AN) | National Alliance (AN) | UEN | Gianfranco Fini | 3,736,606 | 11.49 | 1.19 | 9 | 1 |
| | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) | Communist Refoundation Party (PRC) | GUE/NGL | Fausto Bertinotti | 1,969,776 | 6.06 | 1.79 | 5 | 1 |
| | Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC) | Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC) | EPP-ED | Salvatore Cuffaro | 1,914,726 | 5.89 | 1.14 | 5 | 1 |
| | Northern League (LN) | Northern League (LN) | IND/DEM | Umberto Bossi | 1,613,506 | 4.96 | 0.48 | 4 | 0 |
| | Federation of the Greens (FdV) | Federation of the Greens (FdV) | Greens/EFA | Sepp Kusstatscher | 803,356 | 2.47 | 0.71 | 2 | 0 |
| | Party of Italian Communists (PdCI) | Party of Italian Communists (PdCI) | GUE/NGL | Oliviero Diliberto | 787,613 | 2.42 | 0.42 | 2 | 0 |
| | Bonino List (LB) | Bonino List (LB) | ALDE | Emma Bonino | 731,536 | 2.25 | 6.20 | 2 | 5 |
| | Italy of Values (IdV) | Italy of Values (IdV) | ALDE | Antonio Di Pietro | 695,179 | 2.14 | New | 2 | New |
| | United Socialists for Europe (SUE) | United Socialists for Europe (SUE) | NI | Gianni De Michelis | 664,463 | 2.04 | New | 2 | New |
| | Popular Alliance – UDEUR (AP–UDEUR) | Popular Alliance – UDEUR (AP–UDEUR) | EPP-ED | Clemente Mastella | 419,173 | 1.29 | 0.32 | 1 | 0 |
| | Social Alternative (LdA – FN – FSN) | Social Alternative (LdA – FN – FSN) | NI | Alessandra Mussolini | 400,626 | 1.23 | New | 1 | New |
| | Pensioners' Party (PP) | Pensioners' Party (PP) | EPP-ED | Carlo Fatuzzo | 374,343 | 1.15 | 0.40 | 1 | 0 |
| | Tricolour Flame (FT) | Tricolour Flame (FT) | NI | Luca Romagnoli | 237,058 | 0.73 | 0.87 | 1 | 0 |
| | Italian Republican Party – The Liberals Sgarbi (PRI–LS) | Italian Republican Party – The Liberals Sgarbi (PRI–LS) | ALDE | | 233,144 | 0.72 | 0.18 | 0 | 1 |
| | Segni-Scognamiglio Pact (PSS) | Segni-Scognamiglio Pact (PSS) | None | | 172,556 | 0.53 | — | 0 | 1 |
| | LAL – LFV – PSd'Az – UfS | LAL – LFV – PSd'Az – UfS | None | | 160,101 | 0.49 | — | 0 | 0 |
| | Consumers' List (LC) | Consumers' List (LC) | None | | 160,066 | 0.49 | New | 0 | New |
| | Abolizione Scorporo (Greens Greens – Federalist Greens) | Abolizione Scorporo (Greens Greens – Federalist Greens) | None | | 158,988 | 0.49 | New | 0 | New |
| | New Country (PN) | New Country (PN) | None | | 78,003 | 0.24 | New | 0 | New |
| | No Euro (NE) | No Euro (NE) | None | | 70,220 | 0.22 | New | 0 | New |
| | Social Idea Movement (MIS) | Social Idea Movement (MIS) | None | | 47,171 | 0.15 | New | 0 | New |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 32,516,246 | 91.04 | | | |
| Blank and Invalid votes | Blank and Invalid votes | Blank and Invalid votes | Blank and Invalid votes | Blank and Invalid votes | 3,201,256 | 8.96 | | | |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | 35,717,655 | 100.00 | — | 78 | — |
| Electorate and voter turnout | Electorate and voter turnout | Electorate and voter turnout | Electorate and voter turnout | Electorate and voter turnout | 49,804,087 | 71.72 | | | |
| Source: Ministry of the Interior ||||||||||
Popular vote
Ulivo
31.1%
FI
20.9%
AN
11.5%
PRC
6.1%
UDC
5.9%
LN
5.0%
FdV
2.5%
PdCI
2.4%
Bonino
2.2%
IdV
2.1%
SUE
2.0%
UDEUR
1.3%
AS
1.2%
PP
1.1%
Others
4.7% :

## Seats

Seats are allocated to party lists on a national basis using an electoral quota, with the residue given to the lists with the largest excess over whole quotas. An electoral quota is then calculated for each list and used to allocate seats to each list in each of the five electoral regions.
| Electoral Region | Administrative Regions | Seats |
| North-West | Aosta Valley, Liguria, Lombardy, Piedmont | 23 |
| North-East | Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Veneto | 15 |
| Central | Latium, Marche, Tuscany, Umbria | 16 |
| Southern | Abruzzo, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise | 17 |
| Islands | Sardinia, Sicily | 7 |