Government and Politics of Italy

Government Type

republic

Administrative Divisions

20 regions (regioni, singular - regione); Abruzzi, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto

Legal System

based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Italy dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years for EU nationals, 5 years for refugees and specified exceptions, 10 years for all others

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Sergio MATTARELLA (since 3 February 2015; re-elected for a second term on 29 January 2022) head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the President of the Council of Ministers) Giorgia MELONI (since 22 October 2022) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved by the president elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of parliament and three regional representatives per region (for a total of 58 regional delegates) for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 24–29 January 2022 (next to be held in 2029); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by parliament election results: Sergio MATTARELLA re-elected president; in the eighth round of voting, he received 759 votes from the electoral college, surpassing the absolute majority threshold required after the first three rounds

Legislative Branch

Bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (200 seats following the 2020 constitutional reform that reduced the chamber from 315 seats; members are directly elected using a mixed system combining single-member majority voting and proportional representation; members serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (400 seats, also reduced from 630 seats by the same 2020 reform; members are directly elected using a mixed system; members serve five-year terms); note - the constitutional referendum of September 2020 approved a significant reduction in the size of both chambers, taking effect with the 2022 general elections. Elections: Senate - last held on 25 September 2022 (next to be held in 2027); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 25 September 2022 (next to be held in 2027). Election results: Senate - seats by coalition/party - center-right coalition 115 (Brothers of Italy 26, Lega 30, Forza Italia 18, Us Moderates 2, other 39), center-left coalition 40, Five Star Movement 28, Action-Italia Viva 9, other 8; Chamber of Deputies - seats by coalition/party - center-right coalition 237 (Brothers of Italy 119, Lega 66, Forza Italia 45, Us Moderates 7), center-left coalition 83, Five Star Movement 52, Action-Italia Viva 21, other 7; the center-right coalition led by Giorgia Meloni of Brothers of Italy won a majority, and Meloni was sworn in as Prime Minister in October 2022, becoming Italy's first female head of government.

Judicial Branch

Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15 judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third elected by parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative Supreme Courts)

Political Parties

Center-Left Union Coalition [Romano PRODI]: Ulivo Alliance (including Democrats of the Left or DS [Piero FASSINO]; Daisy-Democracy is Freedom or DL [Francesco RUTELLI]); Rose in the Fist (including Italian Social Democrats or SDI [Enrico BOSELLI]; Italian Radical Party [Emma BONINO]); Italian Communist Party or PdCI [Oliviero DILIBERTO]; Green Federation [Alfonso PECORARO SCANIO]; Communist Renewal or RC [Fausto BERTINOTTI]; Italy of Values or IdV [Antonio DI PIETRO]; Union of Democrats for Europe or UDEUR [Clemente MASTELLA]; Republican European Movement or MRE [Luciana SBARBATI] Center-Right Freedom House Coalition [Silvio BERLUSCONI]: Forza Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; National Alliance or AN [Gianfranco FINI]; Union of Christian Democrats of the Center or UDC [Pier Ferdinando CASINI]; Northern League or LEGA [Umberto BOSSI]; Christian Democracy (Per la Autonomie) [Publio FIORI] other non-allied parties: New Italian Socialist Party or New PSI [Gianni DE MICHELIS]; Italian Republican Party or PRI [Giorgio LA MALFA]; Social Alternative [Alessandra MUSSOLINI]; Social Movement-Tricolor Flame or MSI-Fiamma [Luca ROMAGNOLI]; Social Idea Movement with Rauti or MIS [Pino RAUTI]; South Tyrol People's Party or SVP (German speakers) [Elmar Pichler ROLLE]; Union of Valley Aosta Region or UV [Guido CESAL]

Head of State

President Sergio MATTARELLA (since 3 February 2015

Head of Government

Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the President of the Council of Ministers) Giorgia MELONI

Cabinet

Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved by the president

Elections

Senate - last held on 25 September 2022 (next to be held in 2027); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 25 September 2022 (next to be held in 2027).

Election Results

Senate - seats by coalition/party - center-right coalition 115 (Brothers of Italy 26, Lega 30, Forza Italia 18, Us Moderates 2, other 39), center-left coalition 40, Five Star Movement 28, Action-Italia Viva 9, other 8; Chamber of Deputies - seats by coalition/party - center-right coalition 237 (Brothers of Italy 119, Lega 66, Forza Italia 45, Us Moderates 7), center-left coalition 83, Five Star Movement 52, Action-Italia Viva 21, other 7; the center-right coalition led by Giorgia Meloni of Brothers of Italy won a majority, and Meloni was sworn in as Prime Minister in October 2022, becoming Italy's first female head of government.

Constitution

1-Jan-48

Independence

17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)

National Holiday

Republic Day, 2 June (1946)

International Organization Participation

AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CDB, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Giovanni CASTELLANETA chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 612-4400 FAX: [1] (202) 518-2151 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco consulate(s): Detroit

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald P. SPOGLI embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 121, 00187-Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (06) 46741 FAX: [39] (06) 488-2672, 4674-2356 consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples

Capital City

Rome

Location

41 54 N, 12 29 E

Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

History

by tradition, named after Romulus, one of the legendary founders of the city and its first king

U.S. Embassy Rome Via V. Veneto 119/A, Rome, Italy Telephone: 39-06-46741 Facsimile: 39-06-4674-2217 Email: uscitizensrome@state.gov U.S. Embassy to the Holy See Via delle Terme Deciane 26, Rome, Italy Telephone: 39-06-4674-3428 Facsimile: 39-06-575-8346 U.S. Consulate General Florence Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci 38, Florence, Italy Telephone: 39-055-266-951 Facsimile: 399-055-215-550 Email: uscitizensflorence@state.gov U.S. Consulate General Milan Via Principe Amedeo 2/10, Milan, Italy Telephone: 39-02-290-351 Facsimile: 39-02-290-35-273 Email: uscitizensmilan@state.gov U.S. Consulate General Naples Piazza della Repubblica, Naples, Italy Telephone: 39-081-583-8111 Facsimile: 39-081-583-8275 Email: uscitizensnaples@state.gov There are U.S. Consular Agents located in the following Italian cities: Genoa Via Dante 2, Genoa, Italy Telephone: 39-010-584-492 Facsimile: 39-010-553-3033 Email: usconsge@libero.it Palermo Via Vaccarini 1, Palermo, Italy Telephone: 39-091-305-857 Facsimile: 39-091-625-6026 Email: uscitizenspalermo@state.gov Venice Viale Galileo Galilei 30, Venice, Italy Telephone: 39-041-541-5944 Facsimile: 39-041-541-6654 Email: uscitizensvenice@state.gov

Military Branches

Italian Armed Forces: Army (Esercito Italiano, EI), Navy (Marina Militare Italiana, MMI), Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana, AMI), Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri, CC)

Service Age and Obligation

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in any military branch; Italian citizenship required; 12-month service obligation