The Italian Regional Elections of 2005: Does the Triumph of the Union also signal the End of the Berlusconi Era?

This article examines the Italian regional elections of April 2005. After briefly sketching the shaping of regional government over the past ten years, the article examines the regional/national intersection, the regional electoral results and national political perspectives. The most important features of the electoral offer (the choice of candidates for regional president and the party composition of the coalitions) are examined, together with how and where the Unione Democratica triumphed over the Casa delle Liberta`. The article concludes by asking whether or not the outcome of the regional elections suggests that all is cut and dried with regard to the prospects for the 2006 general elections.