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Italy - Government ProfileOverview of the Country’s Political Framework and Structure - 2008
Italy, an independent country since 1861, has developed into a parliamentary democratic republic, with executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.
The Kingdom of Italy was formally created in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the King of Sardinia. Italy became a republic in 1946 following a popular referendum. The government is currently operating as the Second Republic. Political SystemThe Italian Republic is considered a parliamentary democratic republic in a pluriform multi-party system, with the seat of government centered in the capital city, Rome. The country became an independent nation in 1861 as the Kingdom of Italy, though it did not become a unified state until 1870. The national holiday is Republic Day, celebrated on June 2. Italy’s current constitution was originally adopted on December 11, 1947 and became effective on January 1, 1948. The document has been amended many times and allows for universal suffrage at 18 years of age, except in senatorial elections where the minimum voting age is 25. Administrative RegionsThe Italian Republic consists of 15 regions (regioni) and five autonomous regions* (regioni autonome):
Executive BranchThe President is Italy’s chief of state. This person is elected by an electoral college consisting of both parliamentary houses and 58 regions representatives for a seven year term (there are no term limits). Giorgio Napolitano, the current President, was elected to the position on May 15, 2006. The head of government is the Prime Minister (President of the Council of Ministers), appointed by the President and confirmed by Parliament. Silvio Berlusconi, the current Prime Minister, began his official duties on May 8, 2008. The Council of Ministers are nominated by the Prime Minister and appointed by the President. The current ministers are:
Legislative BranchThe Italian Parliament (Parlamento) is a bicameral body consisting of the 315-seat Senate (Senato) and the 630-seat Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati). Members of the Senate are elected to serve five year terms via proportional vote, with the winning coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats from that region. Chamber of Deputies members are elected by popular vote to serve five year terms, with the winning national coalition receiving 54% of the seats. The current structure of the Senate, by political party is (number of seats):
The current structure of the National Assembly, by political party is (number of seats):
Judicial BranchThe country’s judicial branch consists of the Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale), composed of 15 judges. One-third of the justices are appointed by the President, one-third are elected by Parliament and the last third are elected by the ordinary and administrative Supreme Courts. Legal SystemThe Italian legal system is based on civil law. Appeals are treated as new trials and judicial review can occur under specific conditions in the Constitutional Court. The country has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction. References Barrientos, Miguel. Index Mundi. 2007. Chamber of Deputies Official Website. Governo Italiano Official Website. Senato della Repubblica Official Website.
The copyright of the article Italy - Government Profile in Italy is owned by Mark Resnicoff. Permission to republish Italy - Government Profile in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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