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TheAcerbo Law was an Italianelectoral law proposed by BaronGiacomo Acerbo and passed by theItalian Parliament in November 1923. The purpose of it was to giveMussolini'sfascistparty a majority ofdeputies. The law was used only in the1924 general election, which was the last competitive election held in Italy until 1946.

In 1922,Benito Mussolini became the prime minister ofItaly as a result of theMarch on Rome. However, he still only had 35 deputies in Parliament and 10 Nationalist allies. He was in a weak position and relied on thecoalition with other parties that could easily unravel and forceKingVictor Emmanuel III to dismiss him. The idea was to change the voting system fromproportional representation to a system which would allow Mussolini to have a clear majority.^[1]

The Acerbo Law stated that the party gaining thelargest share of the votes – provided they had gained at least 25 per cent of the votes – gainedtwo-thirds of the seats in parliament. The remaining third was shared amongst the other partiesproportionally.^[2]

Mussolini could only count on the support of 35Fascist deputies and 10Nationalists. The law was passed on a majority vote. The obvious question is why a majority of deputies from other parties voted for the law knowing that one way or another Mussolini would gain the 25% required. TheSocialists voted against it but made no effort to coordinate other parties to oppose it. The CatholicItalian People's Party was divided and leaderless after Mussolini engineered the dismissal ofLuigi Sturzo. The official policy was to abstain, but 14 deputies voted for the measure. The smaller Liberal parties generally voted in favour. They lacked clear direction and many believed Mussolini's talk of strong government or hoped to keep their positions. There is no doubt that the presence of armedsquadristi in the Chamber intimidated many into voting for the measure.

While an election was held straight afterwards under the new rules, the result has to be seriously questioned given the widespread violence against Mussolini's opposition, along with voter intimidation and electoral fraud. Consequently, his opponents were demoralised and in disarray, while many of the new Fascist deputies were ex-Liberal deputies who commanded a substantial personal following, especially in the South.^[3]

The widespread voter fraud was denounced by the leader of theUnitary Socialist PartyGiacomo Matteotti in a speech to the Chamber of Deputies on 30 May 1924. Matteotti was subsequently kidnapped and murdered by Fascist militiamen led byAmerigo Dumini. The murder caused uproar and outrage in Italy and abroad, causing aconstitutional crisis that would eventually lead to the establishment of thefascist dictatorship in Italy.^[4]

Following the transformation of Italy into aone-party State in 1926, the Acerbo Law became obsolete. In 1928, theItalian Parliament (now purged of any serious opposition) overwhelmingly passed a new electoral law, known as Rocco Law from his proponentAlfredo Rocco; the new Law turned Italian elections into aplebiscite on a single list of candidates selected by theGrand Council of Fascism among members of theNational Fascist Party and affiliated organizations.

• 1923 in Italy
• 1923 in law
• Italian fascism
• Political history of Italy
• Legal history of Italy
• Election legislation
• Democratic backsliding in the interwar period

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