# First Prodi government

The first Prodi government was the 53rd government of Italy. It held office from 18 May 1996 until 21 October 1998.

## Formation

On 21 April 1996, the Olive Tree won 1996 general election in alliance with the Communist Refoundation Party (PRC), making Romano Prodi Prime Minister of Italy. The Olive Tree's main component was the Democratic Party of the Left, which contained the bulk of the former Italian Communist Party. The PDS' Walter Veltroni, who ran in ticket with Prodi in a long electoral campaign, served as Deputy Prime Minister, and 15 other PDS ministers joined him in cabinet alongside 10 PDS junior ministers. It was the first time that (former) Communists had taken part in government since 1947.
Besides the external support of PRC, the coalition received the support also of some minor parties: the Italian Republican Party (PRI, social-liberal), The Network (social-democratic), the South Tyrolean People's Party (regionalist and Christian democratic) and some other minor parties which later merged with PDS.
The average age of the ministers was 55.9 years and 14 ministers has parliamentary experience. The number of female ministers was three.

## Fall

The government fell in 1998 when the Communist Refoundation Party withdrew its support. This led to the resignation of Prodi and to the formation of a new government led by Massimo D'Alema as Prime Minister.

## Party breakdown

* Independents: Prime minister, 3 ministers and 4 undersecretaries
* Democratic Party of the Left (PDS): 10 ministers and 16 undersecretaries
* Italian People’s Party (PPI): 3 ministers and 11 undersecretaries
* Italian Renewal (RI): 3 ministers and 4 undersecretaries
* Federation of the Greens (FdV): 1 minister and 3 undersecretaries
* Democratic Union (UD): 1 minister and 2 undersecretaries
* Segni Pact (Patto): 2 undersecretaries
* Italian Socialists (SI): 1 undersecretary
* Democratic Alliance (AD): 1 undersecretary
* Movement of Unitarian Communists (MCU): 1 undersecretary
* Republican Left (SR): 1 undersecretary

## Composition

| Office | Name | Term | Party | Undersecretaries |
| Prime Minister | Romano Prodi | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Independent | Enrico Luigi Micheli (PPI) Arturo Parisi (Ind.) Giorgio Bogi (SR) (until 14 March 1997) |
| Deputy Prime Minister | Walter Veltroni | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Democratic Party of the Left | Enrico Luigi Micheli (PPI) Arturo Parisi (Ind.) Giorgio Bogi (SR) (until 14 March 1997) |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | Lamberto Dini | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Italian Renewal | Piero Fassino (PDS) Rino Serri (MCU) Patrizia Toia (PPI) |
| Minister of the Interior | Giorgio Napolitano | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Democratic Party of the Left | Franco Barberi (Ind.) Fabrizio Abbate (PPI) Giannicola Sinisi (PPI) Adriana Vigneri (PDS) Lucio Testa (RI) Angelo Giorgianni (RI) (until 13 March 1998) |
| Minister of Grace and Justice | Giovanni Maria Flick | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Independent | Giuseppe Ayala (UD) Franco Corleone (FdV) Antonino Mirone (Patto) |
| Minister of Treasury, Budget and Economic Planning | Carlo Azeglio Ciampi | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Independent | Laura Pennacchi (PDS) Giorgio Macciotta (PDS) Isaia Sales (PDS) Roberto Pinza (PPI) Filippo Cavazzuti (PDS) Dino Piero Giarda (Ind.) |
| Minister of Finance | Vincenzo Visco | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Democratic Party of the Left | Giovanni Marongiu (RI) Fausto Vigevani (PDS) Pierluigi Castellani (PPI) (since 21 Nov. 1996) |
| Minister of Defence | Beniamino Andreatta | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Italian People's Party | Massimo Brutti (PPI) Gianni Rivera (Patto) |
| Minister of Education, University, Scientific and Technological Research | Luigi Berlinguer | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Democratic Party of the Left | Nadia Masini (PDS) Carla Rocchi (FdV) Albertina Soliani (PPI) |
| Minister of Public Works | Antonio Di Pietro | 18 May 1996 – 20 November 1996 | Independent | Antonio Bargone (PDS) Gianni Francesco Mattioli (FdV) |
| Minister of Public Works | Paolo Costa | 20 November 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Independent | Antonio Bargone (PDS) Gianni Francesco Mattioli (FdV) |
| Minister of Agricultural Resources | Michele Pinto | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Italian People's Party | Roberto Borroni (PDS) |
| Minister of Transport and Navigation | Claudio Burlando | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Democratic Party of the Left | Giuseppe Albertini (PDS) Giuseppe Soriero (PDS) |
| Minister of Post and Telecommunications | Antonio Maccanico | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Democratic Union | Vincenzo Maria Vita (PDS) Michele Lauria (PPI) |
| Minister of Industry, Commerce and Craftsmanship | Pier Luigi Bersani | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Democratic Party of the Left | Umberto Carpi (PDS) Salvatore Ladu (PPI) |
| Minister of Labour and Social Security | Tiziano Treu | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Italian Renewal | Antonio Pizzinato (PDS) Federica Gasparrini (RI) Elena Montecchi (PDS) (until 23 Feb. 1998) Alessandro Garilli (Ind.) (since 20 March 1998) |
| Minister of Foreign Trade | Augusto Fantozzi | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Italian Renewal | Antonello Cabras (UD) |
| Minister of Health | Rosy Bindi | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Italian People's Party | Bruno Viserta Costantini (PDS) Monica Bettoni Brandani (PDS) |
| Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities | Walter Veltroni | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Democratic Party of the Left | Willer Bordon (AD) Alberto La Volpe (SI) |
| Minister of the Environment | Edo Ronchi | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Federation of the Greens | Valerio Calzolaio (PDS) |
| Minister of Public Function and Regional Affairs (without portfolio) | Franco Bassanini | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Democratic Party of the Left | Sergio Zoppi (PPI) Ernesto Bettinelli (Ind.) (since 13 Feb. 1997) |
| Minister for Parliamentary Relations (without portfolio) | Giorgio Bogi | 14 March 1997 – 21 October 1998 | Republican Left | Elena Montecchi (PDS) (since 23 Feb. 1998) |
| Minister for Equal Opportunities (without portfolio) | Anna Finocchiaro | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Democratic Party of the Left | |
| Minister of Social Solidarity (without portfolio) | Livia Turco | 18 May 1996 – 21 October 1998 | Democratic Party of the Left | |
* ↑ Delegated to information and publishing.