Italy’s recently elected politicians are younger than ever and there are more women among them than ever before.
According to data published by the National Confederation of Active Farmers, Coldiretti, the average age of those preparing to take their seats in Parliament and the Senate on 15 March is 48. It is 45 in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, and 53 in the Senate, the upper house, thanks mostly to the presence of members of the MoVimento 5 Stelle (5 Star Movement, M5S) led by Beppe Grillo. In the last parliament, the average in the lower house was 54, and in the Senate it was 57.
The parliamentary group with the lowest average age is the M5S, at 37 years old – 33 in the lower house and 46 in the Senate. It is ahead of the Lega Nord (Northern League) at 45 years old – 42 in the lower house and 48 in the Senate. For the Partito Democratico (PD), the average age is 49 – 47 in the lower house and 54 in the Senate.
For the Sinistra Ecologia Libertà (Left Ecology Freedom, SEL), it is 47 – 46 in the lower house and Senate 50. For Con Monti per l’Italia (With Monti for Italy), it is 55 – 55 in the lower house and 56 in the Senate. For the Popolo della Libertà (People of Freedom, PdL), it is 54 – 50 in the lower house and 57 in the Senate.
Women now have a greater presence in the legislature, an increase of 11% from the last parliament – the lion’s share being members of the PD led by Pier Luigi Bersani at 41%. In the last parliament, women formed 21% of members in the lower house and 19% in the Senate. In the new parliament, they form 32% of the lower house and 30% of the Senate.
Among the major parties, the largest number of women come from the PD with 41%, ahead of the M5S’s 38%, the PdL’s and With Monti for Italy’s 22% each, the SEL’s 20%, and the Northern League’s 14%. A woman is also the youngest parliamentary candidate: 25-year-old Marta Grande won a seat in the lower house under the banner of the M5S in Lazio. The oldest member is 89-year-old Sergio Zavoli, a PD candidate in the Senate for Campania.
