2011 Italian referendums

A nationwide abrogative referendum was held in Italy on 12 and 13 June 2011, on four questions concerning the repeal of recent laws regarding the privatisation of water services (two questions), a return to the nuclear energy which had been phased out after the 1987 referendum, and criminal procedure, specifically a provision exempting the Prime Minister and the Ministers from appearing in court. The first aim of those campaigning for a yes vote was to ensure that the quorum (50% + 1) of the electorate was reached.^[2]

2011 Italian abrogative referendum

(2011-06-12) (2011-06-13)12–13 June 2011
Voting system	Popular referendum
Outcome	All four referendums approved, but turnout below the quorum so results were non-binding
Results
Choice Votes  % Yes 27,499,672 93.22% No 1,503,113 5.10% Blank 294,264 1.00% Invalid 202,027 0.68% Valid votes 29,499,076 100.00% Invalid votes 0 0.00% Total votes[1] 29,499,076 100.00% Registered voters/turnout 50,692,125 56.9%
Repeal of law allowing privatization of water services
Yes   94.6% No   5.4%
Repeal of law allowing nuclear power development
Yes   94.3% No   5.7%
Repeal of law modifying regulation of public utilities
Yes   95.0% No   5.0%
Repeal of law modifying election rules
Yes   95.4% No   4.6%
Ministero dell'Interno – Referendum 2011 results

Collecting the needed 500,000 signatures started in April 2010. In two months the signatures deposited were 1.4 milion. The Italian Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) validated two questions about water issues in January 2011 and ruled the referendum to be held on 12–13 June 2011.^[3][4]

The Italians with the right to vote numbered 47,118,352 (22,604,349 men and 24,514,003 women), in addition to 3,300,496 Italians resident abroad. In order for the quorum to be reached, at least 25.209.425 votes for each question had to be cast.^[5]

Turnout, while below general election records, was higher than it had been for any referendum since 1995; on 12 June 2011, turnout had reached 11.64% at midday,^[6] and 30.32% at 19.00, indicating that the necessary quorum would likely be reached.^[7] When polls closed on 13 June 2011, turnout was 56.9%, with clear majorities of 94.6% to 96.1% in favour on all questions,^[8] meaning that about 53,8% to 54,7% of electorate approved them. Silvio Berlusconi, the then-Prime Minister, implicitly invited to boycott the vote in the hope that the required quorum would not be met.^[9]

Position of main political parties

Parties with parliamentary representation

Party		1st question	2nd question	3rd question	4th question	Source
	Alliance for Italy					[10]
	Future and Freedom	Free	Free	Free	Free	[11][12]
	Italy of Values					[13]
	Lega Nord	Free	Free	Free	Free	[14]
	Movement for Autonomies					[15]
	Democratic Party					[16]
	The People of Freedom	Abstain				[17]
	Italian Radicals	Free	Free			[18]
	South Tyrolean People's Party					[19]
	Union of the Centre					[20]

Parties without parliamentary representation

Party		1st question	2nd question	3rd question	4th question	Source
	Federation of the Left					[21]
	Tricolour Flame			Free	Abstain	[22]
	New Force					[23]
	The Right				Abstain	[24]
	Five Star Movement					[25]
	Workers' Communist Party					[26]
	Italian Socialist Party					[27]
	Pensioners' Party					[28]
	Critical Left					[29]
	Left Ecology Freedom					[30]
	Federation of the Greens					[31]

Free = Freedom of choice

High offices of the Republic

The President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano declared he would take part to the referendums, without revealing his intentions regarding the votes.^[32]

The President of the Senate of the Republic Renato Schifani underlined the importance of the vote as a form of democratic participation and said he would vote.^[33]

The President of the Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini declared he would vote.^[34]

The President of the Council of ministers Silvio Berlusconi declared he would not vote.^[35] His statement, "the Constitution gives the right to citizens to say yes or no to the referendum, but also to say 'I do not mind this question, I do not vote'", was considered an implicit invitation for his electorate to abstain, so that the referendums would fail quorum.^[9]

Privatization of water services

• Ballot Colour: Red.
• Description: Repeal of the law that allowed the private sector to be entrusted the management of local public services.

Repeal the law that allowed the private sector to be entrusted the management of local public services.

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	25,935,372	95.35
No	1,265,495	4.65
Valid votes	27,200,867	98.42
Invalid or blank votes	437,078	1.58
Total votes	27,637,945	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	50,594,868	54.81
Source: Ministry of the Interior, Italy

Votes relative to the total number of registered voters Y Yes   51.26% N No   2.50%

Profit on water services

• Ballot Colour: Yellow
• Description: Repeal of the regulations governing the determination of tariffs for water supply services, in the part where they provided that the amount must assure a return on the invested capital.

Repeal regulations that determine that water tariffs must assure a return on invested capital.

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	26,130,637	95.80
No	1,146,639	4.20
Valid votes	27,277,276	98.68
Invalid or blank votes	365,181	1.32
Total votes	27,642,457	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	50,594,868	54.82
Source: Ministry of the Interior, Italy

Votes as a percentage of total number of registered voters Y Yes   51.65% N No   2.27%

Nuclear power

• Ballot Colour: grey.
• Description: Repeal of the new laws that allowed the operation of nuclear powerplants on Italian territory.

Choice	Votes	%
Y Yes	25,643,652	94.05
No	1,622,090	5.95
Invalid/blank votes	359,180	–
Total	27,624,922	100
Registered voters/turnout	50,594,868	54.79
Source: Italian Ministry of the Interior

Votes as a percentage of total number of registered voters Y Yes   50.68% N No   3.21%

Legal impediment

• Ballot Colour: green.
• Description: Repeal of the provisions introducing legittimo impedimento, which allowed the President of the Council of Ministers and the Ministers to be excused from appearing in court if prevented from doing so by government commitments.

Choice	Votes	%
Y Yes	25,736,273	94.62
No	1,462,888	5.38
Invalid/blank votes	422,785	–
Total	27,622,369	100
Registered voters/turnout	50,594,868	54.78
Source: Italian Ministry of the Interior

Votes as a percentage of total number of registered voters Y Yes   50.87% N No   2.89%

Results by region

Region	Voting %	Question 1	Question 2	Question 3	Question 4
Valle d'Aosta	60.85%	Yes 96.6% No 3.4%	Yes 97.0% No 3.0%	Yes 95.2% No 4.8%	Yes 95.8% No 4.2%
Piedmont	59.00%	Yes 94.7% No 5.3%	Yes 95.2% No 4.8%	Yes 93.1% No 6.9%	Yes 94.3% No 5.7%
Liguria	59.45%	Yes 95.7% No 4.3%	Yes 96.2% No 3.8%	Yes 94.0% No 6.0%	Yes 95.0% No 5.0%
Lombardy	54.40%	Yes 93.4% No 6.6%	Yes 94.1% No 5.9%	Yes 91.6% No 8.4%	Yes 93.2% No 6.8%
Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol	64.60%	Yes 96.8% No 3.2%	Yes 97.1% No 2.9%	Yes 96.1% No 3.9%	Yes 96.3% No 3.7%
Veneto	58.90%	Yes 94.7% No 5.3%	Yes 95.3% No 4.7%	Yes 93.5% No 6.5%	Yes 93.7% No 6.3%
Friuli-Venezia Giulia	58.20%	Yes 95.0% No 5.0%	Yes 95.6% No 4.4%	Yes 93.4% No 6.6%	Yes 93.9% No 6.1%
Emilia-Romagna	64.15%	Yes 95.0% No 5.0%	Yes 95.4% No 4.6%	Yes 94.3% No 5.7%	Yes 95.0% No 5.0%
Tuscany	63.60%	Yes 95.7% No 4.3%	Yes 96.0% No 4.0%	Yes 95.1% No 4.9%	Yes 95.5% No 4.5%
Marche	61.60%	Yes 95.9% No 4.1%	Yes 96.3% No 3.7%	Yes 95.2% No 4.8%	Yes 95.3% No 4.7%
Umbria	59.20%	Yes 95.5% No 4.5%	Yes 96.1% No 3.9%	Yes 94.7% No 5.3%	Yes 95.1% No 4.9%
Lazio	58.90%	Yes 96.3% No 3.7%	Yes 96.9% No 3.1%	Yes 95.1% No 4.9%	Yes 95.5% No 4.5%
Abruzzo	57.50%	Yes 96.4% No 3.5%	Yes 97.0% No 3.0%	Yes 95.7% No 4.3%	Yes 95.6% No 4.4%
Molise	58.70%	Yes 97.4% No 2.6%	Yes 97.8% No 2.2%	Yes 96.8% No 3.2%	Yes 96.5% No 3.5%
Campania	52.30%	Yes 97.8% No 2.2%	Yes 98.1% No 1.9%	Yes 96.7% No 3.3%	Yes 96.8% No 3.2%
Basilicata	54.35%	Yes 97.3% No 2.7%	Yes 97.7% No 2.3%	Yes 96.8% No 3.2%	Yes 96.7% No 3.3%
Apulia	52.50%	Yes 97.3% No 2.7%	Yes 97.6% No 2.4%	Yes 96.7% No 3.3%	Yes 96.4% No 3.6%
Calabria	50.35%	Yes 98.0% No 2.0%	Yes 98.3% No 1.7%	Yes 97.3% No 2.7%	Yes 96.9% No 3.1%
Sicily	52.70%	Yes 97.6% No 2.4%	Yes 97.9% No 2.1%	Yes 96.5% No 3.5%	Yes 96.2% No 3.8%
Sardinia	58.60%	Yes 98.2% No 1.8%	Yes 98.5% No 1.5%	Yes 98.4% No 1.6%	Yes 96.5% No 3.5%