Following is a summary of the platforms of the main parties running in the April 13-14 general election.
*PEOPLE OF FREEDOM (PDL) led by Silvio Berlusconi.
The centre-right PDL and its two allies, the Northern League and the Movement for Autonomy (MpA), have drawn up a programme based on seven so-called ''missions for the future of Italy'':
1) Relaunching Development.
The PDL plans a reduction in payroll taxes and contributions to help make businesses more competitive. It pledges to detax overtime, gradually abolish the Irap regional business tax, detax profits which are reinvested in production and introduce measures to protect and bolster Italian exports.
On employment, the PDL promises incentives to create new jobs, particularly for youngsters and women, and measures to transform temping jobs into full-time ones in order to lessen job precariousness, which is a major campaign issue.
It also pledges to continue a major public works programme initiated during the previous Berlusconi government, including a bridge linking Sicily to mainland Italy, and return to nuclear power.
2) Family Support.
The PDL pledges to put the family at the ''centre'' of its programme, defining it as the ''natural community founded on marriage between man and woman''. Its key promise is to lower income taxes as well as abolish council taxes on first homes. The programme contains a commitment to bring the tax burden below 40% of GDP.
The PDL also promises to build more homes for young couples and families, reintroduce one-off payments for couples with a new-born baby and provide free school textbooks for poor students.
3) Security and Justice.
The PDL says it will increase police resources and raise the number of officers patrolling city neighbourhoods. It says it will curb illegal immigration, move against illegal gypsy settlements and introduce tougher penalties for crimes against women and minors.
As for the justice system, there is a promise to continue a previous reform drive. A key point is the complete separation of the roles of judges and prosecutors. The PDL also proposes limiting the use of wiretaps by prosecutors and would introduce heavy penalties to prevent media publication of leaked investigative wiretaps. A series of such leaks have triggered national scandals in the worlds of politics, finance, soccer and TV broadcasting.
4) Public Services.
The PDL promises to provide Italians with ''public services worthy of a European country''. It pledges to eliminate health-service waiting lists; build new hospitals, particularly in the south; transform universities into foundations; and boost research investment.
5) South.
Berlusconi promises to overcome the north-south divide by boosting infrastructure in the south and ensuring that European Union funding is fully and effectively used.
6) Federalism.
The PDL promises to pursue federalist reforms - which are essential to its ally the Northern League - through the ''broad transfer of powers from the state to the regions''.
7) Public Finances.
The PDL says it will reduce Italy's public debt mountain and respect EU deficit-elimination targets. It also promises to cut the high cost of Italian politics, a source of growing public indignation, and eliminate wasteful spending. Unusually for the ever-optimistic Berlusconi, he says that ''we do not carry out or promise miracles'' and warns Italy is in an economic crisis which could get worse.
*DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PD) led by Walter Veltroni.
The centre-left PD and its ally, Italy of Values (IDV), have issued a 12-point platform:
1) Public Finances.
The PD pledges ''complete rigour'' in public-accounts management and to reduce spending without cutting social services. It says resources recovered from the fight against tax evasion will be channeled back to citizens through tax cuts and credits.
2) Taxes and Benefits.
Veltroni promises to cut income tax by 1% a year starting in 2009; to introduce tax credits for poor working mothers, starting in the south; to simplify corporate tax procedures; and increase family benefits including a 2,500-euro one-off payment for a couple's first child.
3) Security for Citizens and Businesses.
The PD says it will increase the number of police patrolling Italian streets and ensure criminals serve their time. It also says it will closely monitor the allotment of public contracts to reduce Mafia involvement and ''attack'' the business activities and assets of mafiosi.
4) Rights and Rapid Justice.
The party promises to speed up Italy's notoriously slow trial system and increase the efficiency of judicial procedures. The PD also proposes stiff sanctions to prevent media publication of leaked investigative wiretaps and respect privacy laws.
The PD is committed to ''promoting'' the legal recognition of the rights of unmarried and same-sex couples and introducing living wills - both issues that have generated problems with the Catholic wing of the centre left.
5) Environment.
The PD promises incentives for clean energy, including ones for homeowners who install solar panels, and fast-track approval for energy infrastructure projects. It says it will improve public transport and complete a contested high-speed rail link from northern Italy to France.
6) Social State, Equality and Support.
The right to up to a year's maternity or paternity leave on full pay and more nursery schools are among the reforms promised by the PD. It also vows to introduce a minimum wage and reduce job precariousness, for example by hiking the costs of temporary contracts for businesses. On the housing front, the PD says more must be done to provide low-rent accommodation, particularly for young couples.
While promising to fight illegal immigration, the PD says permit application procedures must be simplified and a ''pact of citizenship'' introduced for immigrants based on ''a clear system of rights and duties''.
As for health, the PD pledges to reduce political interference in job appointments, reduce waiting lists and introduce low-cost dental-health schemes.
7) Culture, Schools, Universities and Research.
The PD promises to renovate old school buildings, modernise the university system and boost research spending. It pledges 800-1000 million euros for a project involving the selection of 1,000 top young researchers whose work would then be financed by the state for a ten-year period.
8) Business Strength.
The party promises incentives to boost competitiveness particularly for small-to-medium sized firms. It also vows to cut red tape, complete deregulation of many sectors and help firms with research and development costs.
9) Competitiveness Produces Growth.
The PD says it will make public services more competitive to improve quality and efficiency.
10) South and Mediterranean.
Promise to improve infrastructure and services for citizens and businesses in the south and reduce the development gap with the north.
11) Government and Democracy.
Veltroni intends to shake up parliament and slash political costs by cutting the number of MPs from 630 to 470 and the number of senators from 315 to 100. He also promises a streamlined government of no more than 12 ministers and 48 undersecretaries and junior ministers - 60 in all (Prodi's outgoing government numbered more than 100).
He also promises more transparency in public appointments to ensure they are based on merit.
12) TV System in the Digital Era.
Broaching a tricky issue given that Italy's private TV network Mediaset is owned by his rival Berlusconi, Veltroni pledges to increase ''freedom, quality and competition'' in the TV system and end the 'duopoly' created by the domination of state broadcaster RAI and Mediaset. He promises reforms to comply with EU rules which Italy is currently in breach of.
*THE LEFT-RAINBOW (SA) led by Fausto Bertinotti.
This federation of hard-left parties and the Greens has issued a seven-point programme.
Key promises in the programme include on the employment front: raising workers' wages; reducing job precariousness by forcing firms to hire temporary workers who work for them for more than 36 months; cutting the working week; introducing a minimum wage of eight euros an hour; and ensuring jobless and precarious workers an income of 8,500 euros per year.
On the family front, the SA promises to raise child benefit, eliminate council taxes on first homes, ensure housing for evicted tenants and invest 1.5 billion per year in new homes. It also vows to give rights to unwed and same-sex couples, introduce medical abortions, offer free contraception for women under 21 and female immigrants and introduce quick divorces and living wills.
It says it will raise the school-leaving age to 18 and hire at least 20,000 new university researchers.
The SA is a pacifist party and it is against nuclear power. It is committed to clean energy, protecting water resources and bolstering public transport. It promises stiffer penalties for environmental crimes.
On immigration, it says it will close down immigrant holding centres, improve asylum laws and make it easier for resident immigrants to adopt Italian citizenship.
The SA also promises to reduce the numbers, earnings and perks of MPs and councillors and introduce a code of ethics for those in public office.
* UNION OF THE CENTRE (UDC) led by Pier Ferdinando Casini.
The centrist, Catholic UDC has issued a 10-point programme.
Key promises include lowering taxes, introducing measures to boost business competitiveness, fighting tax evasion, reducing public spending, increasing the transparency of public works contracts, cutting red tape, boosting female and youth employment and improving safety in the workplace.
The UDC also promises ''controlled'' immigration and the expulsion of immigrants who commit crimes, and says it will invest more in policing.
It pledges measures to support the family including an increase in child benefit and says it is in favour of an international abortion 'moratorium'. It also vows more help for families who want to send their children to private Catholic schools via US-style vouchers.
The UDC says it could reintroduce nuclear energy and promises to invest in infrastructure, including completing a high-speed rail link from northern Italy to France.
On the justice front, it promises reforms to speed up the justice system.
The UDC also says it plans to update the Constitution to increase governability and simplify institutional structures.
*THE RIGHT led by Daniela Santanche'.
The Right, which is allied to the tiny, neofascist Tricolour Flame, has issued a seven-point programme.
Key points include promises to crack down on crime and illegal immigration. It says it will deport immigrants who commit crimes, immediately expel illegal ones and ensure that criminals serve their time.
It also pledges to lower taxes with the gradual introduction of a flat tax, contain inflation, defend pro-life values and Italy's Catholic culture and protect the environment.
