It should arrive exactly in a month, next January 4, by the Speaker of the House, Roberto Fico, the convocation of the Parliament in joint session for the election of the new Head of State, considering that Sergio Mattarella took office on February 3, 2015 According to article 85 of the Constitution, in fact, “thirty days before the expiry of the seven-year term, the president of the Chamber of Deputies convenes the Parliament and the regional delegates in joint session to elect the new President of the Republic”. On the basis of practice and precedents, the session should be set around January 20. With the exception of the first republican legislature, when the Chambers took office on 8 May and the election for the Head of State began on 10, in 1955 the great electors were summoned on 11 April to start voting on 28; in 1962 on 10 April for 2 May (21 days, a record period probably also due to the coincidence with the holidays of 25 April and 1 May); in 1964 on 6 December for 16; in 1971 November 28 to December 9; in 1978 on 18 to 29 June; in 1985 11 to 24 June; in 1992 from April 28 to May 13; in 1999 from April 28 to May 13; in 2006 on 3 for May 8, in 2013 on 15 April for 18 (it was the complicated beginning of the seventeenth legislature, when Napolitano was then re-elected), in 2015 on 14 for 29 January.
In the case of the first election of Giorgio Napolitano, in 2006, the second paragraph of article 85 of the Constitution was applied to the convocation, according to which “if the Chambers are dissolved, or there are less than three months before their termination, the it takes place within fifteen days of the meeting of the new Chambers ». On that occasion, Ciampi’s mandate expired on May 18, but the new legislature began on April 28. In 1964, 1978 and 1992, after the resignation of Antonio Segni (6 December), Giovanni Leone (15 June) and Francesco Cossiga (28 April), instead, Article 86 of the Constitution found application, according to which “in case of permanent impediment or death or resignation of the President of the Republic, the President of the Chamber of Deputies announces the election of the new President of the Republic within fifteen days, except for the longer term provided if the Houses are dissolved or there are less than three months to their termination “. In this case, the fifteen-day deadline has always been interpreted as the one within which the actual meeting of the Parliament and the start of voting must take place.
SINGLE SITTING, WITH THE RULES OF THE ROOM
The session called for the election of the President of the Republic is unique and takes place in Montecitorio without interruption and ends when the new Head of State is elected, with votes every day and even more ballots on the same day. Two in particular are mentioned. The one that led to the appointment of Giuseppe Saragat, which began on December 16, 1964 and ended on December 28, when the great electors also met on December 25 at 19, after the previous ballot had taken place on the morning of 24. Perhaps also for this reason. senators, deputies and regional delegates (full for the first time) managed to elect Giovanni Leone at 1 pm on December 24, 1971. What happened in 1992 was dramatic. After the fifteenth ballot on the morning of Saturday 23 May failed, the next one was set for Sunday 24 at 17, but on Saturday afternoon there was the attack on Giovanni Falcone. The electors met regularly, but after the commemoration of the victims, as a sign of mourning the call was postponed to 6.30 pm the following day, Monday 25, when the election of Oscar Luigi Scalfaro arrived.