Rome
The center-right coalition led by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi lost Italy’s parliamentary elections this week by a hairsbreadth. The center-left bloc led by Romano Prodi claimed victory in the lower house by one-tenth of a percentage point—49.8 percent to 49.7 percent—the narrowest margin in Italian history. The tiny margin still translates into a decent majority, because under Italian law, whoever wins the election gets 55 percent of the seats regardless of the scale of victory. Berlusconi won’t go quietly, though. He’s demanding a recount. “The margin is under 25,000 votes,” said Paolo Bonaiuti, Berlusconi’s spokesman. “Such a tiny difference requires a scrupulous checking of the counting.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Rosalía and the rise of nunmaniaUnder The Radar It may just be a ‘seasonal spike’ but Spain is ‘enthralled’ with all things nun
-
Magazine solutions - November 14, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - November 14, 2025
-
Israel jolted by ‘shocking’ settler violenceIN THE SPOTLIGHT A wave of brazen attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank has prompted a rare public outcry from Israeli officials
