Acerbo Law
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The Acerbo Law was a 1923 Italian electoral law, which was proposed by Baron Giacomo Acerbo and forced through the Italian Parliament.
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[edit] Terms of the Law
The Acerbo Law stated that party gaining the largest share of the votes (providing they had at least 25 percent of the votes) gained 66% of the seats. The remaining 1/3 of seats was shared amongst the other parties after Proportional Representation. It was conceived to give Fascism a grip on the political scene.
[edit] Impact
After the 1924 election, this method gave Benito Mussolini a huge advantage. The breach made possible by the Acerbo law enabled Mussolini to create a dictatorship. He gained support from Liberals in the south of Italy, as many stood as Fascist politicians, giving him a much greater chance of gaining power. In the 1924 elections, the Fascists achieved 65% of the votes, therefore giving a clear majority and easily enough votes to take 2/3 of the seats.
[edit] Rejection from Opposition
The socialists would not recognize this law and did not participate in the government - which arguably gave the fascists even more room for manoeuvre - an event which became known as the Aventine Secession. Later, socialist leaders, such as Giacomo Matteotti, were assassinated by fascists agents, including Amerigo Dumini.
[edit] External Links
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