The Aosta Valley, one of the most autonomous regions of the Italian state, will be governed for another term by the Union Valdôtaine (UV, Valdotanian Union), the strongest autonomist party in the Aosta Valley. UV won a landslide victory in Monday’s election, taking 17 out of 35 seats, with its coalition partners Stella Alpina (Alpine Star) and Fédération Autonomiste (Autonomist Federation) winning 4 and 2 respectively.

Although UV was down one seat on the last elections the party was expected to lose seats following a split in 2006, with previous members forming two new parties, Vallée d’Aoste Vive (Lively Aosta Valley) and Renouveau Valdôtain (Valdotanian Renewal). The two new parties presented a joint list in Monday’s elections as part of the progressive autonomist coalition, obtaining five deputies. The Partito Democratico (PD, Democratic Party), part of the same coalition, won 3 seats, while the Greens, Arcobaleno, lost its deputies. Silvio Berlusconi’s Popolo della Libertà, the only state-wide party apart from PD, took 4 seats.

These elections were the first to be held since electoral law was modified to a voting system whereby the coalition that wins more than half the votes is guaranteed 21 seats. The open list system left the incumbent President, Luciano Caveri, in seventh place, and he is unlikely to remain in office.

The Aosta Valley is one of the Italian autonomous regions with a special statute, enjoying a higher degree of self-government than other Italian regions, particularly in economic matters. Its economic agreement is similar to that of the Basque Country. Successive Aosta Valley Governments have in given invaluable support to other European stateless nations. In October 2007, for example, the Aosta Valley hosted the Seventh Conference of European Stateless Nations (CONSEU).

Further information:

• Corriere della Sera: Elezioni in Valle d'Aosta, alle forze autonomiste il 61,5% dei voti
  
• La Reppublica: Val d'Aosta, vincono gli autonomisti - Union Valdotaine è il primo partito
  
• Aosta Valley Autonomous Region

Further information in the Aosta Valley's profile.