1979 Italian General Election
3 June 1979 · The First Republic · 630 seats, 162 for a majority
Terrorist attacks by the Red Brigades led to a reversal of the results of the previous election three years before: for the first time the Italian Communist Party lost significant numbers of seats, delaying the government change that had seemed imminent in 1976.
Prime Minister before
Giulio Andreotti
DC
Prime Minister after
Francesco Cossiga
DC
Largest force
Christian Democracy (DC)
262 of 630 seats
Turnout
90.6%
The result
Christian Democracy (DC)
Benigno Zaccagnini · 38.3% of votes · 0 seats
262
seats
Italian Communist Party (PCI)
30.4% of votes · -26 seats
201
seats
Italian Socialist Party (PSI)
9.8% of votes · +5 seats
62
seats
Italian Social Movement (MSI)
Giorgio Almirante · 5.3% of votes · -5 seats
30
seats
Italian Democratic Socialist Party (PSDI)
Pietro Longo · 3.8% of votes · +5 seats
20
seats
Radical Party (PR)
Marco Pannella · 3.5% of votes · +14 seats
18
seats
Italian Republican Party
3.0% of votes · +2 seats
16
seats
Italian Liberal Party (PLI)
1.9% of votes · +4 seats
9
seats
12 further seats went to parties and independents outside the main contenders listed above.