Giorgio Napolitano was reelected President of Italy. It is the first time in the country’s history that a president has been reelected.
Napolitano had to get three quarters of the parliamentary votes to become President of the Republic. He far surpassed this requirement of 504 votes, winning 738 votes.
Napolitano, 88, had said he would step down in May and not continue in his post, citing age. He promised that early this coming week, he will deliver a speech explaining why he accepted the new term. He will also explain the conditions under which he takes on another term.
He was named senator for life in 2005 by the then president of the republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. A year later, on May 10, 2006, he become Ciampi’s successor. In 2006, he was elected with a total of 543 votes as President of the Italian Republic.
