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Italy

Italy Government Stats

Summary:

President Giorgio Napolitano has been a stabilising influence on Italian political life

Definitions

  • Administrative divisions: This entry generally gives the numbers, designatory terms, and first-order administrative divisions as approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet acted on by BGN are noted.
  • Capital city > Geographic coordinates: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • Capital city > Name: This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those countries that have multiple time zones.
  • Constitution: The dates of adoption, revisions, and major amendments to a nation's constitution
  • Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address: This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations, consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
  • Executive branch > Cabinet: Cabinet includes the official name for any body of high-ranking advisers roughly comparable to a U.S. Cabinet. Also notes the method for selection of members.
  • Executive branch > Chief of state: The name and title of any person or role roughly equivalent to a U.S. Chief of State. This means the titular leader of the country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions but may not be involved with the day-to-day activities of the government
  • Executive branch > Head of government: Head of government includes the name and title of the top administrative leader who is designated to manage the day-to-day activities of the government. For example, in the UK, the monarch is the chief of state, and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US, the president is both the chief of state and the head of government.
  • Government type: A description of the basic form of government (e.g., republic, constitutional monarchy, federal republic, parliamentary democracy, military dictatorship).
  • Judicial branch: The name(s) of the highest court(s) and a brief description of the selection process for members.
  • Legal system: A brief description of the legal system's historical roots, role in government, and acceptance of International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction.
  • Legislative branch: This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.
  • Political parties and leaders: Significant political organizations and their leaders.
  • Political pressure groups and leaders: Organizations with leaders involved in politics, but not standing for legislative election.
  • Suffrage: The age at enfranchisement and whether the right to vote is universal or restricted
STAT AMOUNT DATE RANK HISTORY
Administrative divisions 15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions (regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma)
regions: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio (Latium), Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte (Piedmont), Puglia (Apulia), Toscana (Tuscany), Umbria, Veneto (Venetia)
autonomous regions: Friuli-Venezia Giulia; Sardegna (Sardinia); Sicilia (Sicily); Trentino-Alto Adige (Trentino-South Tyrol) or Trentino-Suedtirol (German); Valle d'Aosta (Aosta Valley) or Vallee d'Aoste (French)
2013
Capital city > Geographic coordinates 41 54 N, 12 29 E 2008
Capital city > Name Rome 2011
Constitution previous 1848 (originally for Kingdom of Sardinia and adopted by Kingdom of Italy in 1861); latest enacted 22 December 1947, adopted 27 December 1947, entered into force 1 January 1948; amended many times, last in 2012 2013
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624 2013
Executive branch > Cabinet Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister and nominated by the President of the Republic 2013
Executive branch > Chief of state President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May 2006) 2013
Executive branch > Head of government Prime Minister Enrico LETTA (since 17 April 2013) 2013
Government type republic 2013
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); Supreme Court of Cassation or Corte Suprema di Cassazione 2012
Legal system civil law system; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court 2013
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (315 seats; members elected by proportional vote with the winning coalition in each region receiving 55% of seats from that region; members to serve five-year terms; and up to 5 senators for life appointed by the president of the Republic) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; members elected by popular vote with the winning national coalition receiving 54% of chamber seats; members to serve five-year terms); note - it has not been clarified if each president has the power to designate up to five senators or if five is the number of senators for life who might sit in the Senate 2011
Political parties and leaders Center-right coalition [Silvio BERLUSCONI]:
People of Freedom or PdL [Silvio BERLUSCONI]
Northern League or LN [Roberto MARONI]
Brothers of Italy or Fdl [Giorgia MELONI and Ignazio LA RUSSA]
The Right or LD [Francesco STORACE]
other minor parties

Italy Common Good (Center-Left) [Pier Luigi BERSANI]:
Democratic Party or PD [Pier Luigi BERSANI]
Left Ecology Freedom or SEL [Nichi VENDOLA]
Italian Socialist Party or PSI [Riccardo NENCINI]
Democratic Centre or CD [Bruno TABACCI and Massimo DONADI]
South Tyrolean People's Party or SVP [Luis DURNWALDER]

With Monti for Italy (Centrist):
Civic Choice or SC [Mario MONTI]
Union of the Center or UdC [Pier Ferdinando CASINI]
Future and Freedom for Italy or FLI [Gianfranco FINI]

other coalitions and parties:
Civil Revolution or RC [Antonio INGROIA]
Act to Stop the Decline or FiD [Oscar GIANNINO]
Five Star Movment or M5S [Beppe GRILLO]
2013
Political pressure groups and leaders manufacturers and merchants associations - Confcommercio; Confindustria
organized farm groups - Confcoltivatori; Confagricoltura; Roman Catholic Church
three major trade union confederations - Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL [Susanna CAMUSSO] which is left wing; Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Raffaele BONANNI], which is Roman Catholic centrist; Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Luigi ANGELETTI] which is lay centrist
2013
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25) 2013

SOURCES: CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011

Citation

  • Italy ranked first for total businesses registered > number amongst European Union in 2003.

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Hi Priscilla, while President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi is the head of state, Silvio Berlusconi is Chairman of the Council of Ministers -- a position that is equal to the prime ministers' in other countries -- and has greater executive powers.

Posted on 05 Jun 2005

Suchita Vemuri, Staff Editor

Suchita Vemuri, Staff Editor

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