ulia, Lazio,
Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna,
Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto
Independence:
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed)
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
Constitution:
1 January 1948
Legal system:
based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; appeals
treated as trials de novo; 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)
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Oscar Luigi SCALFARO (since 28 May 1992)
head of government:
Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 11 May 1994)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament (Parlamento)
Senate (Senato della Repubblica):
elections last held 27-28 March 1994 (next expected to be held by
spring 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (326
total; 315 elected, 11 appointed senators-for-life) PDS 61, Northern
League 60, National Alliance 48, Forza Italia 36, Popular Party 31,
Communist Refounding 18, Greens and The Network 13, Socialist Party
13, Christian Democratic Center 12, Democratic Alliance 8, Christian
Socialists 5, Pact for Italy 4, Radical Party 1, others 5
Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati):
elections last held 27-28 March 1994 (next expected to be held by
spring 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (630
total) Northern League 117, PDS 114, Forza Italia 113, National
Alliance 109, Communist Refounding 39, Christian Democratic Center 33,
Popular Party 33, Greens and The Network 20, Democratic Alliance 18,
Socialist Party 16, Pact for Italy 13, Christian Socialists 5
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale)
Political parties and leaders:
Rightists:
Forza Italia, Silvio BERLUSCONI; National Alliance (was Italian Social
Movement - MSI - until January 1994), Gianfranco FINI, party
secretary; Lega Nord (Northern League), Umberto BOSSI, president
Leftists:
Democratic Party of the Left (PDS - was Communist Party, or PCI, until
January 1991), Achille OCCHETTO, secretary; Communist Refounding,
Fausto BERTINOTTI; Greens, Carlo RIPA di MEARA; Radical Party, Marco
PANNELLA; Italian Socialist Party, Ottavian