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The 2001 Italian general election transformed the Italian political landscape. Silvio Berlusconi - industrial tycoon and media mogul - and his centre-right coalition, the House of Freedoms, won an extraordinary victory. For the first time since World War II a united opposition, winning an overall majority, ousted an incumbent government seeking a new term of office. After an election campaign of unprecedented bitterness, the House of Freedoms took up the reins of government with majorities of 106 in the Chamber of Deputies and 38 in the Senate. This comprehensive guide to the election brings together academics to explain how this extraordinary event came about and consider its implications for the Italian political system as a whole. It covers the political and economic contexts of the election, the parties' alliance and campaign strategies, the role of the media, as well as voting shifts and the composition of the new Parliament.