1985 Italian presidential election

Election of the President of the Italian Republic January 2022 1985 Italian presidential election Italy presidential electoral no 1978 Italian presidential election 1978 24 June 1985 1992 Italian presidential election 1992 1,008 voters(320 Senators, 630 Deputiesand 58 regional representatives) 674 (1st–3rd ballots) or 505 (4th ballot onwards) 200x200px Francesco Cossiga Christian Democracy (Italy) 752 74.6% Italian Presidential Election 1985.svg 250px Result on the first ballot (24 June 1985) Christian Democracy (Italy) darkgray Cossiga 752 #C0C0C0 darkgray Others 49 #808080 darkgray Invalids, blanks, abstentions 207 President Sandro Pertini PSI Francesco Cossiga DC The 1985 Italian presidential election was held on 24 June 1985. Only members of Parliament and regional delegates were entitled to vote, most of these electors having been elected in the 1983 general election and in the 1985 regional elections. As head of state of the Italian Republic, the President has a role of representation of national unity and guarantees that Italian politics comply with the Italian Constitution, in the framework of a parliamentary system. As a result of the election, Francesco Cossiga was elected President on the first round with almost 75% of the votes. It was the first time in the history of the Italian Republic that a President had been elected on the first round. Procedure In accordance with the Italian Constitution, the election was held in the form of a secret ballot, with the Senators and the Deputies entitled to vote. The election was held in the Palazzo Montecitorio, home of the Chamber of Deputies, with the capacity of the building expanded for the purpose. The first three ballots required a two-thirds majority of the 1,008 voters in order to elect a president, or 673 votes. Starting from the fourth ballot, an absolute majority was required for candidates to be elected, or 505 votes. The presidential mandate lasts seven years. The election was presided over by the President of the Chamber of Deputies Nilde Iotti, who proceeded to the public counting of the votes, and by the President of the Senate Francesco Cossiga. Candidates Francesco Cossiga, former Prime Minister and Minister, member of the Christian Democracy's moderate faction, was first proposed by the party's leader Ciriaco De Mita as the candidate of the governing Pentapartito alliance. Political background In the 1980s, for the first time since 1945, two governments were led by non-christian democrat Prime Ministers: a republican (Giovanni Spadolini) and a socialist (Bettino Craxi); while the Christian Democracy remained however the main force supporting the government. With the end of the Years of Lead, Craxi cabinet was working to restore stability in the Italian politics. The candidacy of the christian democrat Francesco Cossiga, first proposed by the Christian Democracy leader Ciriaco De Mita, was sustained by all the parties which were members of the coalition government (the so called Pentapartito alliance) and also by the communist leader Alessandro Natta. On 24 June 1985 Cossiga was elected President and officially sworn in on 3 July 1985. Results thumb|right|250px|Francesco Cossiga the day of his inauguration with the Prime Minister Bettino Craxi CandidateFirst round24 June 1985Francesco Cossiga752Arnaldo Forlani16Sandro Pertini12Other candidates49Blank papers141Invalid papers7Abstentions31Total1,008Source: Presidency of the Republic Notes References Category:Presidential elections in Italy Category:1985 elections in Italy