# Legislature II of Italy

The Legislature II of Italy (Italian: II Legislatura della Repubblica Italiana) was the 2nd legislature of the Italian Republic, and lasted from 25 June 1953 until 11 June 1958. Its composition was the one resulting from the general election of 7 June 1953.

## Main chronology

The election was characterized by changes in the electoral law. Even if the general structure remained uncorrupted, the government introduced a superbonus of two thirds of seats in the Chamber of Deputies for the coalition which would obtain at-large the absolute majority of votes. The change was hugely opposed by the opposition parties as well as the smaller DC coalition partners, which had no realistic chances of success. The new law was called Scam Law by its detractors, including some dissidents of minor government parties who founded special opposition groups to deny the artificial landslide to the DC.
The complaint campaign of the oppositions against the Scam Law reached its goal. The Centrist coalition (DC, PSDI, PLI, PRI) won 49.9% of the national vote, coming just a few thousand votes short of the threshold for a two-thirds majority. Instead, the election resulted in an ordinary proportional distribution of the seats. Minor dissident parties resulted determinant for the final result, especially the short-lived National Democratic Alliance (ADN). Technically, the government won the election, with a clear working majority of seats in both houses. But frustration at the failure to garner the expected supermajority caused big problems for the leading coalition. De Gasperi was forced to resign and the legislature continued with many weak governments, with minor parties refusing institutional responsibilities. Because of the extreme governmental instability and the consequent absence of considerable reforms proposed by the government, the legislature was later defined by some historians "the lost legislature".
After De Gasperi lost the support of the Parliament, Giuseppe Pella rose to power, but fell after five months only, following strong disputes about the status of the Free Territory of Trieste which Pella was claiming. Amintore Fanfani not receiving a vote of confidence, Mario Scelba and Antonio Segni followed with more traditional centrist coalitions supported by PSDI and PLI: under the administration of the first one, the problem of Trieste was closed ceding Koper to Yugoslavia. The parliamentary term was closed by the minority government chaired by Adone Zoli, finishing a legislature which hugely weakened the office of the Prime Minister, held by six different rulers. Zoli himself governed for more than one year as a care-taker Prime Minister, after having resigned when the neo-fascist MSI resulted decisive in the government's investiture confidence vote. Zoli remained in office after being invited by President Gronchi to govern until the natural dissolution of the legislature in 1958.

### Presidential election

On 28 April 1955 the Parliament met to elect the second President of Italy. On 29 April 1955 the President of the Chamber of Deputies Giovanni Gronchi was elected on the fourth ballot with 658 votes out of 843.

## Government

| Prime Minister | Prime Minister | Prime Minister | Party | Term of office | Term of office | Government | Composition |
| Prime Minister | Prime Minister | Prime Minister | Party | Took office | Left office | Government | Composition |
| | | Alcide De Gasperi (1881–1954) | Christian Democracy | 16 July 1953 | 17 August 1953 | De Gasperi VIII | DC |
| | | Giuseppe Pella (1902–1981) | Christian Democracy | 17 August 1953 | 18 January 1954 | Pella | DC |
| | | Amintore Fanfani (1908–1999) | Christian Democracy | 18 January 1954 | 10 February 1954 | Fanfani I | DC |
| | | Mario Scelba (1901–1991) | Christian Democracy | 10 February 1954 | 6 July 1955 | Scelba | DC • PLI • PSDI (Centrism) |
| | | Antonio Segni (1891–1972) | Christian Democracy | 6 July 1955 | 19 May 1957 | Segni I | DC • PLI • PSDI (Centrism) |
| | | Adone Zoli (1887–1960) | Christian Democracy | 19 May 1957 | 1 July 1958 | Zoli | DC |

### De Gasperi VIII Cabinet

28 July 1953 Investiture votes for De Gasperi VIII Cabinet :
| House of Parliament | Vote | Parties | Votes |
| Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 545 of 590, Majority: 273) | Y Yes | DC | 263 / 545 |
| Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 545 of 590, Majority: 273) | N No | PCI, PSI, PRI, MSI, PNM | 282 / 545 |
No confidence granted.

### Pella Cabinet

22–24 August 1953 Investiture votes for Pella Cabinet :
| House of Parliament | Vote | Parties | Votes |
| Senate of the Republic (Voting: 236 of 237, Majority: 119) | Y Yes | DC, PNM, PLI, SVP | 140 / 236 |
| Senate of the Republic (Voting: 236 of 237, Majority: 119) | N No | PCI, PSI | 86 / 236 |
| Senate of the Republic (Voting: 236 of 237, Majority: 119) | Abstention | MSI, PSDI | 10 / 236 |
| Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 530 of 590, Majority: 266) | Y Yes | DC, PNM, PLI, SVP | 315 / 530 |
| Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 530 of 590, Majority: 266) | N No | PCI, PSI, PLI, MSI, PRI | 215 / 530 |

### Fanfani I Cabinet

30 January 1954 Investiture votes for Fanfani I Cabinet :
| House of Parliament | Vote | Parties | Votes |
| Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 563 of 590, Majority: 282) | Y Yes | DC | 260 / 563 |
| Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 563 of 590, Majority: 282) | N No | PCI, PSI, PRI, MSI, PNM, PLI, PSDI | 303 / 563 |
No confidence granted.

### Scelba Cabinet

26 February–10 March 1954 Investiture votes for Scelba Cabinet :
| House of Parliament | Vote | Parties | Votes |
| Senate of the Republic (Voting: 236 of 237, Majority: 118) | Y Yes | DC, PLI, PSDI, SVP | 123 / 236 |
| Senate of the Republic (Voting: 236 of 237, Majority: 118) | N No | PCI, PSI, PNM, MSI | 110 / 235 |
| Senate of the Republic (Voting: 236 of 237, Majority: 118) | Abstention | Others | 2 / 235 |
| Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 583 of 590, Majority: 292) | Y Yes | DC, PLI, PRI, PSDI, SVP | 300 / 583 |
| Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 583 of 590, Majority: 292) | N No | PCI, PSI, PNM, MSI | 283 / 583 |

### Segni I Cabinet

18–22 July 1955 Investiture votes for Segni Cabinet :
| House of Parliament | Vote | Parties | Votes |
| Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 558 of 590, Majority: 280) | Y Yes | DC, PLI, PRI, PSDI, SVP | 293 / 558 |
| Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 558 of 590, Majority: 280) | N No | PCI, PSI, PNM, MSI | 265 / 558 |
| Senate of the Republic (Voting: 224 of 237, Majority: 113) | Y Yes | DC, PLI, PSDI, SVP | 121 / 224 |
| Senate of the Republic (Voting: 224 of 237, Majority: 113) | N No | PCI, PSI, PNM, MSI | 100 / 224 |
| Senate of the Republic (Voting: 224 of 237, Majority: 113) | Abstention | Others | 3 / 224 |

### Zoli Cabinet

4–7 June 1957 Investiture votes for Zoli Cabinet :
| House of Parliament | Vote | Parties | Votes |
| Senate of the Republic (Voting: 229 of 237, Majority: 115) | Y Yes | DC, PNM, MSI | 132 / 229 |
| Senate of the Republic (Voting: 229 of 237, Majority: 115) | N No | PCI, PSI, PLI, PSDI | 93 / 229 |
| Senate of the Republic (Voting: 229 of 237, Majority: 115) | Abstention | Others | 4 / 229 |
| Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 560 of 590, Majority: 281) | Y Yes | DC, PNM, MSI | 305 / 560 |
| Chamber of Deputies (Voting: 560 of 590, Majority: 281) | N No | PCI, PSI, PLI, PSDI | 255 / 560 |

## Parliamentary composition
### Chamber of Deputies

* President:
** Giovanni Gronchi (DC), elected on 25 June 1953 and resigned on 29 April 1955;
** Giovanni Leone (DC), elected on 10 May 1955.
* Vice Presidents: Giovanni Leone (DC, until 10 May 1955), Gaetano Martino (PLI, until 10 February 1954), Cino Macrelli (Ind, from 5 March 1954), Edoardo D'Onofrio (PCI), Ferdinando Targetti (PSI), Giuseppe Rapelli (DC, from 27 September 1955)
Parliamentary groups in the Chamber of Deputies :
| Initial composition (25 June 1953) | Initial composition (25 June 1953) | Initial composition (25 June 1953) | Initial composition (25 June 1953) | Final composition (11 June 1958) | Final composition (11 June 1958) | Final composition (11 June 1958) | Final composition (11 June 1958) | Final composition (11 June 1958) |
| Parliamentary group | Parliamentary group | Parliamentary group | Seats | Parliamentary group | Parliamentary group | Parliamentary group | Seats | Change |
| | Christian Democracy | Christian Democracy | 263 | | Christian Democracy | Christian Democracy | 260 | 3 |
| | Italian Communist Party | Italian Communist Party | 143 | | Italian Communist Party | Italian Communist Party | 142 | 1 |
| | Italian Socialist Party | Italian Socialist Party | 75 | | Italian Socialist Party | Italian Socialist Party | 75 | |
| | Monarchist National Party | Monarchist National Party | 40 | | Monarchist National Party | Monarchist National Party | 22 | 1 |
| | Monarchist National Party | Monarchist National Party | 40 | | People's Monarchist Party | People's Monarchist Party | 17 | 1 |
| | Italian Social Movement | Italian Social Movement | 29 | | Italian Social Movement | Italian Social Movement | 23 | 6 |
| | Italian Democratic Socialist Party | Italian Democratic Socialist Party | 19 | | Italian Democratic Socialist Party | Italian Democratic Socialist Party | 18 | 1 |
| | Italian Liberal Party | Italian Liberal Party | 13 | | Italian Liberal Party | Italian Liberal Party | 14 | 1 |
| | Mixed | Mixed | 8 | | Mixed | Mixed | 19 | 11 |
| | | Italian Republican Party | 5 | | | Italian Republican Party | 5 | |
| | | Südtiroler Volkspartei | 3 | | | Südtiroler Volkspartei | 3 | |
| | | | | | | Independents – Non inscrits | 11 | 11 |
| Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | 590 | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | 590 | |

### Senate of the Republic

* President: Cesare Merzagora (Ind), elected on 25 June 1953
* Vice Presidents: Michele De Pietro (DC, until 17 January 1954 and then from 4 July 1957), Giorgio Bo (DC, until 18 May 1957), Mauro Scoccimarro (PCI), Enrico Molé (PSDI), Mario Cingolani (DC, from 24 February 1954)
Parliamentary groups in the Senate of the Republic :
| Initial composition (25 June 1953) | Initial composition (25 June 1953) | Initial composition (25 June 1953) | Initial composition (25 June 1953) | Final composition (11 June 1958) | Final composition (11 June 1958) | Final composition (11 June 1958) | Final composition (11 June 1958) | Final composition (11 June 1958) |
| Parliamentary group | Parliamentary group | Parliamentary group | Seats | Parliamentary group | Parliamentary group | Parliamentary group | Seats | Change |
| | Christian Democracy | Christian Democracy | 112 | | Christian Democracy | Christian Democracy | 110 | 2 |
| | Italian Communist Party | Italian Communist Party | 52 | | Italian Communist Party | Italian Communist Party | 49 | 3 |
| | Italian Socialist Party | Italian Socialist Party | 26 | | Italian Socialist Party | Italian Socialist Party | 27 | 1 |
| | Monarchist National Party | Monarchist National Party | 14 | | Monarchist National Party | Monarchist National Party | 15 | 1 |
| | Italian Social Movement | Italian Social Movement | 9 | | Italian Social Movement | Italian Social Movement | 9 | |
| | Social Democratic–Liberal | Social Democratic–Liberal | 8 | | Social Democratic–Liberal | Social Democratic–Liberal | 10 | 2 |
| | Mixed | Mixed | 15 | | Mixed | Mixed | 16 | 1 |
| | | Südtiroler Volkspartei | 2 | | | Südtiroler Volkspartei | 2 | |
| | | Independents – Non inscrits | 13 | | | Independents – Non inscrits | 14 | 1 |
| Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | 237 | Total seats | Total seats | Total seats | 237 | |

#### Senators for Life

| Senator | Motivation | Appointed by | From | Till |
| Enrico De Nicola | Former President of Italy | ex officio | Previous legislature | Next legislature |
| Pietro Canonica | Merits in the artistic field | President Luigi Einaudi | Previous legislature | Next legislature |
| Gaetano De Sanctis | Merits in the social and literary field | President Luigi Einaudi | Previous legislature | 9 April 1957 (deceased) |
| Pasquale Jannaccone | Merits in the social field | President Luigi Einaudi | Previous legislature | Next legislature |
| Luigi Sturzo | Merits in the social field | President Luigi Einaudi | Previous legislature | Next legislature |
| Umberto Zanotti Bianco | Merits in the artistic and social field | President Luigi Einaudi | Previous legislature | Next legislature |
| Luigi Einaudi | Former President of Italy | ex officio | 11 May 1955 | Next legislature |
| Giuseppe Paratore | Merits in the social field | President Giovanni Gronchi | 9 November 1957 | Next legislature |