Politics of San Marino - Political Parties and Elections

Political Parties and Elections

For other political parties see List of political parties in San Marino. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in San Marino.
e • d Summary of the 9 November 2008 Grand and General Council of San Marino election results
Parties Votes % Seats
Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party–Euro-Populars for San Marino–Arengo and Freedom 6,693 31.90% 22
Popular Alliance 2,417 11.52% 7
Freedom List 1,317 6.28% 4
Sammarinese Union of Moderates 874 4.17% 2
Votes to the coalition 73 0.35%
Pact for San Marino 11,373 54.22% 35
Party of Socialists and Democrats–Sammarinese for Freedom 6,703 31.96% 18
United Left 1,797 8.57% 5
Centre Democrats 1,037 4.94% 2
Votes to the coalition 65 0.31%
Reforms and Freedom 9,602 45.78% 25
Total valid votes (turnout: 68.48%) 20,975 60
Invalid/Blank votes 831
Total votes cast 21,806
Registered voters 31,845
Sources: Elezioni Politiche 2008 - Repubblica di San Marino (Italian)

San Marino is a multi-party democratic republic. The two main parties are the Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party (PDCS) and the Party of Socialists and Democrats (PSD, a merger of the Socialist Party of San Marino and the Party of Democrats) in addition to several other smaller parties. Due to the small size of San Marino and its low population, it is difficult for any party to gain a pure majority and most of the time the government is run by a coalition.

Because tourism accounts for more than 50% of the economic sector, the government relies not only on taxes and customs for revenue, but also the sale of coins and postage stamps to collectors throughout the world. In addition, the Italian Government pays San Marino an annual budget subsidy provided under the terms of the Basic Treaty with Italy.

Read more about this topic:  Politics Of San Marino

Famous quotes containing the words political, parties and/or elections:

    For aesthetics is the mother of ethics.... Were we to choose our leaders on the basis of their reading experience and not their political programs, there would be much less grief on earth. I believe—not empirically, alas, but only theoretically—that for someone who has read a lot of Dickens to shoot his like in the name of an idea is harder than for someone who has read no Dickens.
    Joseph Brodsky (b. 1940)

    Like other parties of the kind, it was first silent, then talky, then argumentative, then disputatious, then unintelligible, then altogethery, then inarticulate, and then drunk. When we had reached the last step of this glorious ladder, it was difficult to get down again without stumbling.
    George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)

    Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates.
    Gore Vidal (b. 1925)