Italian politics, democratic republic, council of ministers, senate, president of the republic, Primo Ministro, Italian judiciary, Constitution of Italy, Palazzo Montecitorio, Palazzo del Quirinale, Palazzo Madama, Palazzo Chigi Italian politics, democratic republic, council of ministers, senate, president of the republic, Primo Ministro, Italian judiciary, Constitution of Italy, Palazzo Montecitorio, Palazzo del Quirinale, Palazzo Madama, Palazzo Chigi Profile Menu Jack of the Italian Navy Current time in Italy Level three Italian Politics - Government In June 1946, the Italian people voted to abolish the Monarchy and the country became a Democratic Republic. The Italian Parliament is made up of 945 elected members. There are two houses, both with equal rights and powers. The Italian Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, has 630 seats. For elections to the lower house, the country is represented by 26 constituences. These constituences elect 617 members of Parliament between them. Aosta Valley elects one more and the remaining 12 are elected by Italians living abroad.

The Italian Senate, the upper house, has 315 seats. For elections to the Senate, votes are cast regionally with 6 seats allocated to Italians living abroad. Both houses are elected every five years. Unlike the British and American system, where votes are cast for individual candidates, the Italian voting system is based on a 'Party List' system, where each party's candidates are ranked in order of priority. If a party wins 10 seats, for example, then the first 10 candidates on their list are selected and take their seats in Parliament. Coalitions are actively encouraged by the system. In forming a coalition to fight an election, individual parties must sign up to a coalition document and agree to support a single, nominated leader. If a coalition wins the election with less than the 340 seats required for a working majority, then they are assigned additional seats, equivalent to a 54% majority. The party or coalition with the largest vote is asked to form a government by the President of the Republic. This government must then receive a vote of support from both houses before it can exercise power. Thereafter, it is supported by Parliament through a series of 'votes of confidence' in the two houses.

Parliament can request a new vote at any time, once a certain proportion of members wish it. If the government fails to gain enough support it must resign. At this point the President can ask the parties to create a new government that does have the support of Parliament or he can attempt to create a new government of his own design. If either of those options fail to win support, Parliament is dissolved and new elections are held. This electoral law has been widely criticised by the centre left parties, as they believe it favours parties from the right. Reform of the electoral laws is currently being proposed. Executive power rests with the 'Council of Ministers', or Cabinet, which is led by the Prime Minister (President of the Council of Ministers). Legislative power rests primarily with the two houses of Parliament, and secondarily with the Council of Ministers. The Judiciary is independent of Parliament. The President is the head of state and is independent of all branches of government. As the head of state, the President of the Republic represents the unity of the nation and has taken over many of the duties previously undertaken by the monarchy.

The President serves as a focal point between the three branches of power: he is elected by the lawmakers, he appoints the executive, and is the President of the judiciary. The President is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The President of the Republic is elected for a seven year term by an electoral college which consists of both houses of Parliament together with 58 regional representatives. His election needs a wide majority that ensures that the elected President enjoys wide support across all political parties. While it is not forbidden by law, no president has ever served two terms. Usually, the President tries to stay out of day to day politics, and to be an institutional guarantee for all those involved in the political process. As the guardian of the Constitution of Italy, the President can also reject openly anti-constitutional laws by refusing to sign them. The President of the Republic appoints the Council of Ministers and its President (the Prime Minister). The Prime Minister advises the President of the Republic on the composition of the rest of the Council of Ministers (the cabinet), which comprises the ministers in charge of the various governmental departments. In practice, the President accepts Prime Minister's advice, and submits the proposed Council for a vote of confidence from both parliamentary chambers. You might also like...

Italian political system Back to home page click here A SHORT GUIDE TO THE ITALIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM Conclusion INTRODUCTION The modern state of Italy came into force on 17 March 1861 when King Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont-Sardinia signed into law a bill in which he took for himself the title King of Italy. In a recent book on Italy ["The Pursuit Of Italy" by David Gilmour, 2011], we learn that at the time of Italian reunification, a mere 2.5% of Italians spoke what we would recognise as Italian which perhaps underlines the fractious nature of the country to this day. Italy adopted a new constitution in 1948 after the traumatic experience of Mussolini's fascism and the Second World War. Unusually the two Houses of the Italian Parliament possess the same rights and powers - a particular form of parliamentary democracy known as perfect bicameralism. However, this is far from being the only oddity of the Italian political system. Italy is something of an aberration in the democratic sweep of Europe.

For decades, it somehow combined the maintenance of the same political party in power with constant changes of government while, in more recent years, it has witnessed a fundamental transformation in the pattern of political parties and this process is still in flux. Meanwhile, in recent years, the electoral system has been changed frequently and substantially and the current version is both immensely complex and hugely controversial. Politics in Italy is constantly beset with scandal and corruption and, for so long, it has seemed astonishing that the Italian economic system could be so robust, when the Italian political system has been so chaotic - and I write as a half-Italian. It was inevitable that, sooner or later, the weaknesses in the poiltical system would translate into problems for the economic system and so it proved in the Eurozone crisis of 2011. THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH The Italian monarchy was abolished in a referendum of 1946 (when my mother voted against the retention of the King) and, under the constitution of 1948, the head of state is the President of the Republic. He is elected for seven years in a secret ballot by a two-thirds majority of the Parliament sitting jointly with 58 regional delegates.

If after three rounds of voting no candidate can secure a two-thirds majority, then for further rounds a simple majority will suffice. The Italian President of the Republic heads the armed forces and has powers to veto legislation, disband parliament and call elections. He nominates the senior Government minister, called the President of the Council (equivalent to the British Prime Minister). The current President of the Republic is Sergio Mattarella who was inaugurated in February 2015. Day to day power is exercised by the President of the Council who is nominated by the President of the Republic (one needs to be careful with the term President in Italy) and confirmed by the Parliament. Following the inconclusive General Election of February 2013, it took two months and the resignation of Pier Luigi Bersani from the leadership of the winning Democratic Party before a new leader of the party Enrico Letta was apppointed President of the Council. At the time of his appointment, he was 46, making him the youngest prime minister since Giovanni Goria in 1987. But Letta did not last long.

In February 2014, he was replaced by Matteo Renzi who, at the age of just 39, was Italy's youngest ever prime minister. However, following the loss of a referendum in early December 2016, Renzi tendered his resignation from the premiership and was replaced by fellow Democratic Party member and former Foreign Secretary Paolo Gentiloni who now heads Italy's 65th government since the Second World War. It is the President of the Council who proposes the other ministers (formally named by the President of the Republic). The Government ministers make up the Council of Ministers. In the unusual circumstances of the outcome of the last General Election, the curret Council of Ministers is a 'grand coalition' made up of nine members from the Democratic Party (PD), five from the People of Freedom (PdL), and three from Civic Choice (SC). Vice-ministers - called "Sottosegretari" (Undersecretaries) - are not formal members of the Council. In Italy, anyone can be appointed a minister, with no requirement to be a member of the Parliament or a political party.

Indeed, when Mario Monti became President of the Council, he ensured that all his 17-strong cabinet were technocrats with more than a third of them professors. Italian Governments are notoriously unstable. In fact, since 1945 only one has served a full five-year term of office. THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES The lower house in the Italian political system is the Chamber of Deputies. It has 630 members elected by all Italian citizens older than 18. 617 members are elected by proportional representation from party lists for each of 26 districts. Lombardy has three constituencies, Piedmont, Veneto, Latium, Campania and Sicily each have two constituencies, and all the other 13 regions have one. Another Deputy is elected in the Aosta Valley (a mountainous region in north-western Italy). A peculiarity of the Italian Parliament is the representation given to Italians who are permanently living abroad (about 2.7 million people). Therefore, as well as the 618 nationally elected Deputies, there are 12 elected in four distinct foreign constituencies.

The term of office of Deputies is five years, but the Parliament may be dissolved by the President before then if it proves impossible to form a stable government (this has happened six times since the war). The next election is due in 2018. The election system for the Chamber of Deputies is new and complex. In its newest form, it dates only from 2005; its complexity comes from the fact that it combines a proportional representation system (a version of which produced so many weak post-war governments) with a 'prize' for the coalition securing the largest number of votes (so that the resulting government has a stronger basis than would otherwise be the case). To obtain seats, some thresholds must be surpassed on a national basis as follows: a minimum of 10% for a coalition (if this requirement is not met, the 4% limit for single parties apply) a minimum of 4% for any party not in a coalition a minimum of 2% for any party in a coalition (however, the first party in a coalition that rates below 2% is also assigned seats). As an Italian friend of mine put it: "Look!!! I fund a party, my mother another one and my father as well.

We join together into a coalition and we get 30 votes (just the votes of the neighbourhood), rather far from 2%. But, as candidate of the first party, I can claim for a seat. In Italy everybody can go the Parliament, that's democracy!" Finally, the coalition or party that obtains the largest number of seats but is assigned less than 340 seats, is assigned additional seats to reach this number, which corresponds roughly to a 54% majority. This is the 'prize' and this is the incentive to form coalitions. The Chamber of Deputies actually sits in a palace: the Palazzo Montecitorio. THE SENATE The upper house in the Italian political system is the Senate which has equal legislative rights to the Chamber of Deputies. It has 315 members elected by all Italian citizens older than 25. 309 members are elected by a system of proportional representation system based upon party lists for the 20 regions of Italy. The minimum age for candidates is 40. As mentioned earlier, an oddity of the Italian Parliament is the representation given to Italians abroad.

Therefore, as well as the 309 nationally elected Senators, there are 6 elected in four distinct foreign constituencies. The term of office of elected Senators is five years, As well as these 315 elected Senators, the Senate includes former Presidents and appointed Senators for life (no more than five) by the President of the Republic according to special constitutional provisions. The electoral system for the Senate is very similar to the one for the Chamber of Deputies, but it is in many ways transferred from a national to to a regional basis. Therefore the thresholds - which are different - are applied on a regional basis as follows: a minimum of 20% for a coalition a minimum of 8% for any party not in a coalition a minimum of 3% for any party in a coalition (there is no exception for the first party in a coalition below this threshold, as in the lower house) The coalition that wins the largest number of seats in a region is automatically given 55% of that region's seats, if it has not reached that percentage already. In contrast to the situation for the Chamber of Deputies, there is no mechanism to guarantee a nation-wide majority in the Senate.

So the real oddity in this electoral system is the lack of a 'prize' in the Senate. As widely confessed by Roberto Calderoli (a Senator from the Northern League and the creator of this electoral law), the new electoral system was written and approved during the last months of the Berlusconi Government in order to put the new winning coalition (at that time the Centre-Left coalition was substantially ahead in the opionion polls) in trouble with a weak majority in the Senate. In Italy, this electoral law is infamous and well known by everybody for its amusing 'nickname', the "porcata" (a rather rude way to say 'a load of rubbish') and this is the name that television and newspapers often use to refer to it. The Senate actually sits in a palace: the Palazzo Madama. A constitutional referendum was held on 4 December 2016 when voters were asked whether they approved of amending the Italian Constitution to transform the Senate of the Republic into a "Senate of Regions" composed of 100 senators mainly made up of regional councillors and mayors. The proposal was roundly defeated leading to the resignation of the Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

This was the third constitutional referendum in Italy in fifteen years: the last two were in 2001 and 2006. POLITICAL PARTIES After the end of the Second World War, Italian politics - and even more so its government - was dominated by a single political party Democrazia Cristiana (DC - Christian-Democrats) for more than 40 years, while the opposition was led by the Italian Communist Party (PCI). The third important party was the Italian Socialist Party (PSI). Accordingly, in the period 1946-1992, there were no less than 28 governments and all but two of them were headed by a Christian Democrat. Everything changed in the early 1990s. First, all the governing parties were caught up in a major scandal called the Tangentopoli and dissolved themselves so that the Christian Democratic and the Socialist parties ceased to exist. Second, following referenda of 1993, substantial electoral changes were introduced, shifting the country from an unstable system of proportional representation to a more stable additional member system (although the voters had actually expressed a wish for a majoritarian system similar to the French model [ click here ]).

Third, a further electoral change provides a 'prize' to the coalition which secures the largest number of votes in the Chamber of Deputies (which is intended to give the government a stronger base) which has the effect of encouraging political parties to join one of two or three major coalitions.

The results of all these changes are that, in an effort to maximise votes, simultaneously political parties are splitting and political power has recently been contested by two broad coalitions bringing together most of these (often small) parties: a Centre-Left one known as Italy, Common Good - a descendant of the Olive Tree coalition - which consists of seven parties and was led by Enrico Letta of the Democratic Party (PD) a Centre-Right one - a descendant of the Pole of Freedoms - which consists of eight parties and was led by Silvio Berlusconi of the People of Freedom (PdL) In the General Election of 24 & 25 February 2013, this straight Left-Right contest was complicated by another coalition and another party: a Centrist coalition called With Monti for Italy, formed specifically for the election, which consists of four parties and is led by the former European Commissioner and outgoing (unelected) austerity Prime Minister Mario Monti of Civic Choice (SC) a stand-alone, eurosceptic, anti-austerity political party called the Five Star Movement (M5S) - Cinque Stella in Italian - formed only in 2009 and led by the comedian Guiseppe Grillo (

its elected representatives are known as the "Grillini") In the February 2013 election, Berlusconi and Grillo - in their very different ways, both populist figures - did exceptionally well which resulted in a complicated and unstable outcome.

Although the split of votes for the four groupings was similar for the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate - the 'winner' in each case was the Democratic Party with around 30% of the vote - the very different rules for allocation of seats in the two chambers means that the PD has only a bare majority in the Chamber of Deputies and nothing like that in the Senate. The factionalism of Italian politics has some echoes of the party political situation in India [ click here ] but, in European terms, this situation of a multiplicity of parties and changing alliances is unique. The Five Star Movement has had some electoral success locally as well as nationally, notably the election of Virginia Raggi as mayor of Rome. THE JUDICIAL BRANCH The Constitutional Court of Italy is composed of 15 judges: one-third appointed by the President, one-third elected by the Parliament, and one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative supreme courts. The Constitutional Court is a post-war innovation. Its powers, volume, and frequency of decisions are not as extensive as those of the Supreme Court in the United States The other senior court is the Supreme Court of Cassation which is the highest court of appeal or court of last resort in Italy.

The Court of Cassation also ensures the correct application of law in the inferior and appeal courts and resolves disputes as to which lower court (penal, civil, administrative, military) has jurisdiction to hear a given case. Given the conflict and corruption in the Italian political system, the courts in Italy find themselves embroiled in political issues in a manner largely unknown elsewhere in Europe. So it was the courts who played a major role in provoking the fundamental political restructuring and realignments of the early 1990s as a result of the exposure of the corruption-based system called Tangentopoli (Italian for bribeville) that dominated the country until the 'Mani pulite' ('clean hands') investigation delivered it a (possibly fatal) blow in 1992. The 'clean hands' operation exposed corruption at the highest levels of politics and big business. Several former prime ministers were implicated and thousands of businessmen and politicians were investigated. The Italian legal system is inordinately complicated and most lawyers (avvocato) and judges (giudici) are challenged by the conflicts between different laws, many of which date back centuries.

There are literally thousands of laws, most of which are ignored, and newcomers must learn where to draw the line between laws that are enforced and those that are not or are only weakly enforced. It sometimes appears that there is one law for foreigners and another for Italians, and fines (multe) are commonplace. CONCLUSION Perhaps only in Italy could a business leader (Silvio Berlusconi) create a major political party (Forza Italia) from scratch and then become Prime Minister while simultaneously owning the majority of the country's television channels and while still in office facing substantial corruption and sex-related charges. In November 2011, Berlusconi finally fell from power after 17 years at the top, although he did remarkably well in the last election, coming within 0.5% of the share of the vote required to make him a winner. Perhaps only in Italy could a political party only three years old (the Five Star Movement) led by a well-known comedian (Giuseppe Grillo) win around a quarter of the vote and become the largest single pary in the lower house.

Yet Grillo is not actually in the Parliament because he falls foul of his own rule that no elected politician should have a criminal record (he has a 1980 driving conviction for manslaughter after a crash in which passengers were killed). Therefore Italian democracy remains a work in progress and a work in turmoil. We cannot be sure how long the new government will last, we cannot be sure that the electoral law will not be changed again, and we do not know what might be the consequences of a new election. Since Italy is the third largest member of the Eurozone, the politcal situation in the country has profound consequences for the whole Eurozone and by implication the world economy. ROGER DARLINGTON Italy country brief - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Italy country brief Italy country brief General overview Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a unitary parliamentary republic in Southern Europe. Italy borders France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia to the north and extends into the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Italy has a population of 59.7 million (2013) and its capital is Rome. A founding member of the European Union, Italy last held the EU Presidency in the second half of 2014.

As the world’s ninth-largest economy, Italy sits in the elite clubs of the largest economies (EU, OECD, G7, G8 and G20) and has a central role in global trade and financial systems. Bilateral relationship As two highly-developed and complementary G20 economies with robust international engagement and enduring people-to-people ties, Australia and Italy share a warm relationship with much scope for expansion. Our cooperation intensified in 2014 during Australia’s chairmanship of the G20 and Italy’s Presidency of the European Union. According to the 2011 census, 916,120 Australians claimed Italian ancestry with 185,402 Australian residents having been born in Italy. Australia and Italy have concluded bilateral agreements covering culture, double taxation, air services, economic and commercial cooperation, reciprocal social security and health care benefits, and film co-production. A bilateral Working Holiday Maker Arrangement became operative in January 2004. During 2013-14, 16,045 working holiday visa were granted to Italian citizens (up 0.5 per cent on the previous year).

The two countries have also signed a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) covering science and technology cooperation, defence materiel, defence industry, motor vehicle safety certification, sports cooperation, game meat exports and trade cooperation. In April 2013 an updated science and technology MOU was signed. In July 2009 an MOU was signed regarding cooperation on the Square Kilometre Array, an international advanced radio-telescope project. Several state governments have signed MOUs with Italian regional governments to promote cooperative activities and exchanges between the two parties.

High-Level Visits (Note: Positions indicated in the list below were held at the time of the visits) To Italy 2014 The Hon Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs (to attend the ASEM Summit in Milan) The Hon Bronwyn Bishop MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives 2011 Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs Australia 2014 Mr Matteo Renzi, Prime Minister, visited Australia in November 2014 to attend the G20 Summit in Brisbane and to hold an investment-focused visit to Sydney 2012 Secretary of State Staffan de Mistura, Italian Deputy Foreign Minister (accompanied a major business delegation) Dr Enrico Letta, Deputy Leader of the Italian Democratic Party Bilateral economic and trade relationship Italy is a significant market for Australia. It is one of our largest trading markets in the European Union (EU) and in 2013-14 was our 15th largest merchandise trading partner globally.

Two-way merchandise trade in 2013-14 was $6.7 billion, in Italy's favour by a ratio of almost 8:1. Items such as wool, coal, leather and beef dominated the mix of Australian exports. Major Australian imports from Italy in 2013-14 included medicaments, pumps, electric plant and non-electric engines and motors. Against the backdrop of one of Italy’s longest economic recessions, tourism arrivals from Italy to Australia grew 97.6 per cent to 72,463 during 2013-14. Expenditure by Italian visitors in Australia rose 21.3 per cent to $519m in the same period. In the year ending June 2014, Italy was Australia’s 15th largest outbound market, with 177,737 departures to Italy. Italian investment in Australia is relatively low, reflecting Italy's focus within the EU and Mediterranean area. However, there has been a recent welcome interest by Italian companies in investing in Australia including as an entry-point to the dynamic Indo-Pacific region.

Total stock of investment from Italian companies in Australia in 2013 was worth over $2.2bn. Australian investment in Italy in 2013 was worth almost $5 billion. A number of Australian companies, including Lend Lease, architectural firm Woodhead and Cochlear, have business interests in Italy. Westfield is investing in a new shopping mall project in Milan which, when completed, will be worth around $1.3bn. The Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) is the Australian Government’s trade, investment and education promotion agency. Austrade assists Australian companies to grow their international business, attracts productive foreign direct investment into Australia and promotes Australia’s education sector internationally. In established markets, such as Italy, Austrade assists Australian exporters through referrals to specialist service providers and business advisors, for assistance on a commercial basis. . Austrade maintains an office in Milan. For further information please contact Austrade in Australia on 13 28 78 or email info@austrade.gov.au . Political overview The constitution of Italy was adopted in 1947, following a referendum on 2 June 1946 that abolished the Italian monarchy and established Italy as a parliamentary republic.

The constitution came into effect on 1 January 1948 and established a bicameral parliament (Chamber of Deputies and Senate), a separate judiciary, and an executive branch composed of a Council of Ministers headed by the President of the Council (Prime Minister). The constitution also created the position of President who is elected for a seven year term and has a largely ceremonial role. Both houses of parliament are directly elected and are of equal authority. The electoral system in the Senate is based upon regional representation. The Chamber of Deputies has 630 members and the Senate 315 elected senators. In addition, the Senate includes former Presidents and several other persons appointed for life according to special constitutional provisions. Both houses are elected for a maximum of five years, but either may be dissolved before the expiration of its normal term. Legislative bills may originate in either house and must be passed by a majority in both. The President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, was elected on 31 January 2015. His appointment came after the retirement of President Emeritus Giorgio Napolitano, the only President in Italy’s modern history to be elected twice.

On 22 February 2014, the leader of Italy’s centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and former Mayor of Florence Matteo Renzi was sworn in as Italy’s youngest ever Prime Minister. Mr Renzi is leading an ambitious program of constitutional, electoral, administrative, labour and economic reforms. Under Mr Renzi the PD gained a convincing victory in the European elections in May 2014, attracting 40.8 per cent of votes cast – the first time since 1958 that a single Italian party had surpassed the 40 per cent mark. Since 2006, Italians living abroad have been eligible to vote in the Italian elections. They may elect 12 members in the Chamber of Deputies and six Senators representing four overseas divisions: Europe; South America; North and Central America; and Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Antarctic. During the 2013 elections, 3.4 million Italians living abroad were eligible to vote in the lower house elections, against 3.1 million in the Senate elections.

Two Australians members of the PD were elected to represent the Oceania and the Antarctic division: Marco Fedi in the Chamber of Deputies and Francesco Giacobbe in the Senate. Italy is divided into regions, provinces and municipalities. The constitution lists 20 regions, which are further divided into 110 provinces. Of the 20 regions, five enjoy special constitutional status: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige and Valle d'Aosta. The regions are responsible for electing their own regional parliaments that exercise substantial autonomy. Economic overview Italy has a highly-developed and sophisticated industrial base supported by a strong medium to small enterprise sector, the majority of which is family owned or controlled. Nonetheless, Italy faces some serious economic challenges. For the last decade, economic growth has barely exceeded one per cent per annum (GDP is forecast to have contracted 0.4 per cent in 2014) reflecting stagnant productivity, weak demand, tight credit conditions, fiscal adjustments and depressed confidence. Unemployment has hovered around 12.9 per cent since January 2014.

In addition, Italy is divided into a developed industrial north and less-developed south. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) remains below the levels achieved by benchmark competitors. Outward Italian FDI is limited and is largely concentrated in Europe and the Mediterranean. Italian exports have been falling as a percentage of global trade. Most raw materials needed for manufacturing and more than 80 per cent of the country's energy sources are imported. As the first country in the world to record more people aged over 65 than under 15, Italy's low fertility rate and rapidly aging population place a strain on its economy. Italy has a very high ratio of home ownership and very low household and company debt, but public debt has increased steadily since 2007 exceeding 130 per cent of GDP in 2014. Going forward, the combination of lower oil prices, a weak Euro and important structural reforms may sustain opportunities to restart growth. Last updated: April 2015 Italy - Political Parties Italian Election Results Italy - Political Parties The parliament constitutes the legislative branch of the central government. It consists of a chamber of deputies and a senate with 630 and 315 elected members, respectively.

Between 1945 and 1993 when the proportional representation [PR] system prevailed, Italy saw a total of 52 governments come and go, with each cabinet lasting less than one year on average into their five-year term. Except for brief periods, no single party has been able to command an overall majority in parliament, and Italy had a long history of weak coalition governments. In 1993, the parliament enacted electoral reforms. From the adoption of the Italian Constitution in 1948 until 1993, both chambers of parliament (the chamber of deputies and the senate) were elected by a system of proportional representation with a nominal lower limit on the percentage of votes needed to achieve representation. The electoral reform legislation adopted by parliament in August 1993 provided that 75% of the members of both houses of parliament be elected through a "First past the post" system, or single-member districts in which the candidate receiving the largest number of votes wins. The remaining 25% are elected through a proportional representation system. In the chamber of deputies, only parties that receive at least 4% of the total vote on a nationwide basis are eligible for the seats elected by proportional representation.

These modifications of the voting system significantly reduced the number of parliamentary seats held by parties that receive a relatively small share of the popular vote. The political scene is even more fractured now than in the days when coalitions dominated by the Christian Democrats rose and fell every few months. Then there were only eight parties that mattered. By 2010, at least 16 political groups were active on the national stage. The conditions for party government have been undermined in such a way that it is now almost impossible to imagine party government in contemporary Europe either functioning effectively or sustaining legitimacy. Italy's dramatic self-renewal transformed the political landscape between 1992 and 1997. Scandal investigations touched thousands of politicians, administrators, and businessmen; the shift from a proportional to majoritarian voting system also altered the political landscape. Since the electoral reforms, Italy held four general elections. Party changes were sweeping. The Christian Democratic Party dissolved; the Italian People's Party and the Christian Democratic Center emerged. Other major parties, such as the Socialists, saw support plummet. A new populist and free-market oriented movement, Forza Italia, gained wide support among moderate voters. The National Alliance broke from the neofascist Italian Social Movement.

A trend toward two large coalitions -- one on the center-left and the other on the center-right -- emerged from the April 1995 regional elections. For the 1996 national elections, the center-left parties created the Olive Tree coalition while the center right united again under the Freedom Pole. The May 2001 elections ushered into power a refashioned center-right coalition dominated by Berlusconi's party, Forza Italia. In December 2005, a new law was enacted modifying the voting system for the Chamber of Deputies. This modified voting system was utilized for the first time in the general elections in April 2006. In the Chamber of Deputies, the electorate votes for lists of candidates presented by the multiparty coalitions and individual parties. Seats in the Chamber of Deputies are awarded based on the number of votes obtained by each list, provided that multiparty coalitions and individual parties are not eligible for any seat unless they attain at least 10 per cent and 4 per cent of the total votes, respectively. The threshold is reduced to two percent if the party is formally part of a coalition that receives at least 10 percent of total votes.

In addition, a "first past the post" mechanism applies if the winning coalition does not obtain at least 340 seats (out of 630 seats) in the Chamber of Deputies. In order to ensure government stability, if the winning coalition does not obtain at least 340 seats, it is automatically awarded as many seats as it needs to reach 340 seats. The remaining seats will be divided among opposition parties on a proportional basis. In the Senate, the governing coalition will be given at least 170 seats out of a total of 315. As before, there are 12 seats in the Chamber and 6 in the Senate elected directly by Italians living abroad. The leader of the largest party in the winning coalition will be the presumptive prime ministerial candidate. However, this cannot be stated explicitly in the law since the selection of prime minister is constitutionally the prerogative of the President of the Republic. In the parliamentary elections held on April 9-10, 2006, a full-blown proportional representation [PR] electoral system replaced the mixed one. Each elector cast one vote for a closed party list, from which electors cannot choose individual candidates.

The PR system used in 2006 also brought with it a "majority prize". It awarded "bonus" seats to winners on a national basis in the lower house and regionally in the Senate. Take the lower house for example, the bonus meant that a party or a coalition, obtaining the most votes but still short of 55 percent of parliament seats, will be given extra seats till its number of seats increases to 340, or 55 percent, out of a total of 618 seats. In national elections held April 9-10, 2006, Romano Prodi's center-left Union coalition, a successor to the Olive Tree, won a narrow victory over Berlusconi's Freedom House coalition. The Union coalition included the Democratic Party (born of the November 2007 fusion of the Democrats of the Left and the Daisy Party), UDEUR (Union of Democrats for Europe), Rose in the Fist (made up by Italian Social Democrats and Italian Radical Party), Communist Renewal, the Italian Communist Party, Italy of Values, and the Greens. In January 2008, the Prodi government fell when small coalition partner UDEUR withdrew support.

Italy witnessed the collapse of its 61st government in 63 years since the end of World War II. Italian Premier Romano Prodi won a confidence vote in the Lower House, in a vote that saw 326 MPs voting in favor and 275 against the confidence motion. But the center-left cabinet led by Prime Minister Romano Prodi was brought down after the ex-European Commission president lost a confidence vote in the Senate. Italy's Senate Speaker Franco Marini began talks aimed at seeking support for overhauling the country's election system, saying the current one failed again to deliver the country from its chronic woes of short-lived governments. In October 2007, the Democrats of the Left and the Daisy parties officially merged to form the Democratic Party. Veltroni was chosen as party leader and was the center-left's candidate in the April 2008 elections. Silvio Berlusconi launched an alliance between his Forza Italia party and Gianfranco Fini's National Alliance. The parties ran together under the People of Liberty symbol in April 2008.

The National Alliance did not want to be on the same ticket as tiny parties like The Right of Francesco Storace, or the centrist UDEUR (Union of Democrats for Europe) of ex-justice minister Clemente Mastella, whose defection from the center left in January 2008 brought down brought down Prodi's government. Similar views were expressed by UDC leader Pier Ferdinando Casini and the Northern League. The election greatly simplified parliament, dramatically reducing the numbers of parties, and for the first time since World War II, leaving communist parties out of parliament. People of Liberty (37.4%) won the largest share of the vote and took power in coalition with a strengthened Northern League (8.3%) and the tiny Movement for Autonomy (1.1%). The Democratic Party scored 33.2% and ran in alliance with Italy of Values (4.4%), while the Union of the Center (5.6%) ran alone. The Communist Refoundation Party, the Party of Italian Communists, the Federation of Greens, and the Democratic Left merged to form "la Sinistra - l'Arcobaleno" (The Left - The Rainbow).

The Rainbow Left did so poorly in the election as to not win any seats at all. The absence of the Rainbow Left from parliament may shift support to the Democratic Party, the only leftist party in parliament apart from the single-issue anti-corruption Italia dei Valori. In March 2009, Forza Italia and National Alliance changed the People of Liberty identification from an alliance to a party. The new mass center-right party is Italy's largest party and one of the largest in Europe. Party leaders define the party as post-ideological, charismatic, and pragmatic. It is led by Berlusconi. NEWSLETTER Italy: Government in Italy, President, parliament, political parties and elections, Italy was a monarchy from Articles Italy was a monarchy from its unification in the second half of the 19th century until 1946, when it became a parliamentary republic following a national referendum. On 1st January 1948, it adopted a constitutional charter, which defines the political and civil liberties of citizens and the principles of government. Italy is headed by a President who appoints a Prime Minister, the elected head of government.

The seat of government is Rome, where the President resides in the Palazzo del Quirinale, the chamber of deputies sits in the Palazzo Montecitorio and the senate occupies the Palazzo Madama. President The head of state is the President of the republic, who (at least in theory) represents the nation’s unity and ensures compliance with the constitution (under the direction of the constitutional court). He is elected every seven years by a college comprising both chambers of parliament and three representatives from each region. The minimum age for presidential candidates is 50. The current President, Giorgio Napolitano, took office in 2006. The President’s duties include appointing the Prime Minister, promulgating laws and decrees, authorising the presentation of government bills in parliament and, with parliamentary authorisation, ratifying treaties and declaring war. He may dissolve parliament (except during the last six months of his term of office), either on his own initiative in consultation with the presidents of both chambers or at the request of the government, and he has the power to call special sessions of parliament and delay legislation. Some of these acts must be ratified by the government.

The President commands the armed forces and presides over the Supreme Council of Defence and the Superior Council of Magistrates. Whenever a government is defeated or resigns, it’s his duty (after consulting eminent politicians and party leaders) to appoint the person most likely to win the confidence of parliament, although the candidate is usually designated by the majority parties and the President has limited choice. Parliament The Italian parliament ( parlamento) is bicameral, consisting of two chambers or assemblies: the Senate of the Republic ( Senato della Repubblica) with 315 members (called senators) and the Chamber of Deputies ( Camera dei Deputati) with 630 members (deputies). The assemblies enjoy equal power and are both elected by universal suffrage. Senators represent Italy’s 20 regions whereas deputies come from 26 constituencies, but the most important difference between the chambers is the minimum age required for the electorate and the candidates: 18 and 25 respectively for deputies and 25 and 40 for senators. Parliament is elected every five years, although few Italian governments run their course, the average length of office being less than a year.

The senators and deputies must declare to which parliamentary group they intend to belong, and any political group consisting of at least 10 senators and 20 deputies has the right to be represented in parliament. The government is appointed by the President and is led by the president of the council of ministers ( il Presidente del Consiglio), more commonly referred to as the Prime Minister. Although the government carries out the executive functions of the state, in emergencies it also has powers to approve laws by decree. Parliament can be dissolved by the President, e.g. when the Prime Minister loses a vote of no confidence. Ministerial appointments are negotiated by the parties constituting the government majority and each new government must receive a vote of confidence in both houses of parliament within ten days of its appointment. If at any time the government fails to maintain the confidence of either house, it must resign. Splits in the coalition of two or more parties that have united to form a government have caused most resignations in the past. The most important function of parliament is ordinary legislation.

Bills may be presented in parliament by the government, by individual members, or by bodies such as the National Council for Economy and Labour, various regional councils, or communes, as well as by petition of 50,000 citizens of the electorate or through a referendum. Bills must be approved by both houses before they become law; thus, whenever one house introduces an amendment to a draft approved by the other house, the latter must approve the amended draft. The law comes into force when published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale. Political Parties From the end of the Second World War to the early ’90s, Italy had a multi-party system dominated by two parties, the Christian Democratic Party (Partito della Democrazia Cristiana/DC) and the Italian Communist Party (Partito Comunista Italiano/PCI), with a number of other small but influential parties, ranging from the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement (Movimento Sociale Italiano/MSI) on the right to the Italian Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Italiano/PSI) on the left, while a number of small secular parties occupied the centre.

The DC was the dominant governing party in various alliances with smaller parties of the centre and left, and the principal opposition parties were the PCI and the MSI. The Italian party system underwent a radical transformation in the early ’90s as a result of both international and national events. The party system was radically altered by the fall of communism, by a wave of judicial prosecutions of corrupt officials that involved most Italian political parties, and by the fact that in 1991 the Communist Party became the Democratic Party of the Left (Partito Democratico della Sinistra/PDS). The DC, battered by scandal, was replaced by a much smaller organisation, the Italian Popular Party (Partito Popolare Italiano/PPI), which itself virtually disappeared after elections in 1994.

Meanwhile, three new parties arose and began to dominate the political right: Forza Italia (FI), a vaguely neo-liberal alliance created in 1994 by the media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi; the Northern League (Lega Nord/LN), formed in 1991, a federalist and fiscal-reform movement with large support in the northern regions; and the National Alliance (Alleanza Nazionale/AN), which succeeded the MSI in 1994, but whose political platform renounced its fascist past. Thus, the Italian political spectrum, which had previously been dominated by parties of the centre, became polarised between parties of the right and left. Regional Government For administrative purposes, the country is divided into 20 regions, which roughly correspond to the historical regions of the country. The regions are further divided into 110 provinces ( provinci province, three of which will come into being in 2009), which are further subdivided into town councils or communes ( comuni).

The five ‘special status’ regions ( regioni a statuo speciale) of Friuli-Venezia-Giuila, Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige and Val d’Aosta are autonomous or semi-autonomous due to particular ethnic or geographical considerations. They have special powers granted under the constitution and regional assemblies (similar to parliaments) with a wide range of administrative and economic powers. Italy’s other 15 regions have little autonomy compared with, for example, those in Germany or Spain. Participation in national government is a principal function of the regions and regional councils may initiate parliamentary legislation, propose referenda, and appoint three delegates to assist in presidential elections. With regard to regional legislation, the five ‘special’ regions have exclusive authority in certain fields such as agriculture, forestry and town planning, while the other regions have authority within the limits of principles established by state laws. The legislative powers of the regions are subject to certain constitutional limitations, the most important of which is that regional acts may not conflict with national interests. The regions can also enact legislation necessary for the enforcement of state laws and have the right to acquire property and to collect certain revenues and taxes. Regional and local elections are held every five years.

Communes The organs of the commune ( comune), the smallest local government unit, are the popularly elected communal council, the communal committee or executive body and the mayor ( sindaco). The communes have the power to levy and collect local taxes and have their own police ( vigili urbani), although their powers are much less than those exercised by the national police. The communes issue ordinances and run certain public health services, and are responsible for such services as public transport, refuse collection and street lighting. Regions have some control over the activity of the communes and communal councils may be dissolved for reasons of public order or for continued neglect of their duties. The mayor of a commune, in his capacity as an agent of the central government, registers births, deaths, marriages, and migrations, maintains public order (although in practice this is dealt with by the national police), and can, in an emergency, issue ordinances concerning public health, town planning and the local police. An EU national is entitled to vote in communal elections and stand as a candidate. Elections All citizens aged 18 and over may vote in elections for the Chamber of Deputies; the age limit is 25 for the Senate.

The turnout for elections in Italy is the highest in the EU in all elections, reaching well over 80 per cent of the electorate for parliamentary elections. For almost half a century after the Second World War, Italy’s electoral system was based on proportional representation, a system in which seats in an elected body are awarded to political parties according to the proportion of the total vote they receive. Between 1993 and 1995, however, several changes were made by national legislation and popular referenda. At national level, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate are now elected by a combination of proportionality and plurality. Seventy-five per cent of the seats in these two chambers are filled from single-member districts by individual candidates who win the largest number of votes in each district. The other 25 per cent of the seats are awarded to candidates from party lists on a proportional basis. The number of votes obtained by the winner in single-member districts is fully (for senators) or partially (for deputies) subtracted before allocating proportional seats, thus introducing a further element of proportionality. In regional elections, voters cast two ballots.

The first is cast in a contest for 80 per cent of the seats in the regional council, which are awarded on a proportional basis. The second ballot is a plurality vote; the regional coalition that wins a plurality is awarded all the remaining seats as well as the presidency of the regional government. Split voting is allowed. In provincial elections, only one vote is cast. If a single provincial list wins more than 50 per cent of the votes, seats are divided among all the lists according to their proportion of the vote, and the presidency goes to the head of the winning list. Otherwise, a run-off election must take place between the two most successful lists, the winner taking 60 per cent of the seats. A similar system is employed in municipal elections in cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants. In this case, however, two ballots are cast, one for the mayor and one for the council. Split voting is permitted. In smaller cities, only one ballot is cast and the winning list is awarded two-thirds of the seats as well as the mayoralty.

Referenda An important feature of the Italian constitution is that referenda must be held – in order to repeal laws or executive orders (except with regard to anything concerning the state budget or the ratification of international treaties) – at the request of 500,000 signatories or five regional councils. Referenda have been called extensively since the ’70s and have resulted a wide range of institutional and civic reforms. Important referenda held in the past include those on abortion, divorce, nuclear power and electoral reform. Some regions also have a provision for holding referenda. The constitution also provides that 50,000 members of the electorate may jointly present to parliament a draft bill. European Parliamentary Elections EU nationals over 18 who are resident in Italy are permitted to vote in European elections for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). If you wish to exercise your right to vote, you must request an application from the mayor of the municipality in which you’re resident not less than 90 days before polling day. You may be required to show your identity documents and give your last address in your home EU country in order to verify that you’re an EU citizen.

As far as elections to the European Parliament are concerned, you lose the right to vote in your EU country of origin if you choose to vote in Italy. On 1st January 1948, it adopted a constitutional charter, which defines the political and civil liberties of citizens and the principles of government. Italy is headed by a President who appoints a Prime Minister, the elected head of government. The seat of government is Rome, where the President resides in the Palazzo del Quirinale, the chamber of deputies sits in the Palazzo Montecitorio and the senate occupies the Palazzo Madama. President The head of state is the President of the republic, who (at least in theory) represents the nation’s unity and ensures compliance with the constitution (under the direction of the constitutional court). He is elected every seven years by a college comprising both chambers of parliament and three representatives from each region. The minimum age for presidential candidates is 50. The current President, Giorgio Napolitano, took office in 2006.

The President’s duties include appointing the Prime Minister, promulgating laws and decrees, authorising the presentation of government bills in parliament and, with parliamentary authorisation, ratifying treaties and declaring war. He may dissolve parliament (except during the last six months of his term of office), either on his own initiative in consultation with the presidents of both chambers or at the request of the government, and he has the power to call special sessions of parliament and delay legislation. Some of these acts must be ratified by the government. The President commands the armed forces and presides over the Supreme Council of Defence and the Superior Council of Magistrates. Whenever a government is defeated or resigns, it’s his duty (after consulting eminent politicians and party leaders) to appoint the person most likely to win the confidence of parliament, although the candidate is usually designated by the majority parties and the President has limited choice. Parliament The Italian parliament ( parlamento) is bicameral, consisting of two chambers or assemblies: the Senate of the Republic ( Senato della Repubblica) with 315 members (called senators) and the Chamber of Deputies ( Camera dei Deputati) with 630 members (deputies).

The assemblies enjoy equal power and are both elected by universal suffrage. Senators represent Italy’s 20 regions whereas deputies come from 26 constituencies, but the most important difference between the chambers is the minimum age required for the electorate and the candidates: 18 and 25 respectively for deputies and 25 and 40 for senators. Parliament is elected every five years, although few Italian governments run their course, the average length of office being less than a year. The senators and deputies must declare to which parliamentary group they intend to belong, and any political group consisting of at least 10 senators and 20 deputies has the right to be represented in parliament. The government is appointed by the President and is led by the president of the council of ministers ( il Presidente del Consiglio), more commonly referred to as the Prime Minister. Although the government carries out the executive functions of the state, in emergencies it also has powers to approve laws by decree. Parliament can be dissolved by the President, e.g. when the Prime Minister loses a vote of no confidence.

Ministerial appointments are negotiated by the parties constituting the government majority and each new government must receive a vote of confidence in both houses of parliament within ten days of its appointment. If at any time the government fails to maintain the confidence of either house, it must resign. Splits in the coalition of two or more parties that have united to form a government have caused most resignations in the past. The most important function of parliament is ordinary legislation. Bills may be presented in parliament by the government, by individual members, or by bodies such as the National Council for Economy and Labour, various regional councils, or communes, as well as by petition of 50,000 citizens of the electorate or through a referendum. Bills must be approved by both houses before they become law; thus, whenever one house introduces an amendment to a draft approved by the other house, the latter must approve the amended draft. The law comes into force when published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale.

Political Parties From the end of the Second World War to the early ’90s, Italy had a multi-party system dominated by two parties, the Christian Democratic Party (Partito della Democrazia Cristiana/DC) and the Italian Communist Party (Partito Comunista Italiano/PCI), with a number of other small but influential parties, ranging from the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement (Movimento Sociale Italiano/MSI) on the right to the Italian Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Italiano/PSI) on the left, while a number of small secular parties occupied the centre. The DC was the dominant governing party in various alliances with smaller parties of the centre and left, and the principal opposition parties were the PCI and the MSI. The Italian party system underwent a radical transformation in the early ’90s as a result of both international and national events. The party system was radically altered by the fall of communism, by a wave of judicial prosecutions of corrupt officials that involved most Italian political parties, and by the fact that in 1991 the Communist Party became the Democratic Party of the Left (Partito Democratico della Sinistra/PDS).

The DC, battered by scandal, was replaced by a much smaller organisation, the Italian Popular Party (Partito Popolare Italiano/PPI), which itself virtually disappeared after elections in 1994. Meanwhile, three new parties arose and began to dominate the political right: Forza Italia (FI), a vaguely neo-liberal alliance created in 1994 by the media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi; the Northern League (Lega Nord/LN), formed in 1991, a federalist and fiscal-reform movement with large support in the northern regions; and the National Alliance (Alleanza Nazionale/AN), which succeeded the MSI in 1994, but whose political platform renounced its fascist past. Thus, the Italian political spectrum, which had previously been dominated by parties of the centre, became polarised between parties of the right and left. Regional Government For administrative purposes, the country is divided into 20 regions, which roughly correspond to the historical regions of the country. The regions are further divided into 110 provinces ( provinci province, three of which will come into being in 2009), which are further subdivided into town councils or communes ( comuni).

The five ‘special status’ regions ( regioni a statuo speciale) of Friuli-Venezia-Giuila, Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige and Val d’Aosta are autonomous or semi-autonomous due to particular ethnic or geographical considerations. They have special powers granted under the constitution and regional assemblies (similar to parliaments) with a wide range of administrative and economic powers. Italy’s other 15 regions have little autonomy compared with, for example, those in Germany or Spain. Participation in national government is a principal function of the regions and regional councils may initiate parliamentary legislation, propose referenda, and appoint three delegates to assist in presidential elections. With regard to regional legislation, the five ‘special’ regions have exclusive authority in certain fields such as agriculture, forestry and town planning, while the other regions have authority within the limits of principles established by state laws. The legislative powers of the regions are subject to certain constitutional limitations, the most important of which is that regional acts may not conflict with national interests. The regions can also enact legislation necessary for the enforcement of state laws and have the right to acquire property and to collect certain revenues and taxes. Regional and local elections are held every five years.

Communes The organs of the commune ( comune), the smallest local government unit, are the popularly elected communal council, the communal committee or executive body and the mayor ( sindaco). The communes have the power to levy and collect local taxes and have their own police ( vigili urbani), although their powers are much less than those exercised by the national police. The communes issue ordinances and run certain public health services, and are responsible for such services as public transport, refuse collection and street lighting. Regions have some control over the activity of the communes and communal councils may be dissolved for reasons of public order or for continued neglect of their duties. The mayor of a commune, in his capacity as an agent of the central government, registers births, deaths, marriages, and migrations, maintains public order (although in practice this is dealt with by the national police), and can, in an emergency, issue ordinances concerning public health, town planning and the local police. An EU national is entitled to vote in communal elections and stand as a candidate. Elections All citizens aged 18 and over may vote in elections for the Chamber of Deputies; the age limit is 25 for the Senate.

The turnout for elections in Italy is the highest in the EU in all elections, reaching well over 80 per cent of the electorate for parliamentary elections. For almost half a century after the Second World War, Italy’s electoral system was based on proportional representation, a system in which seats in an elected body are awarded to political parties according to the proportion of the total vote they receive. Between 1993 and 1995, however, several changes were made by national legislation and popular referenda. At national level, the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate are now elected by a combination of proportionality and plurality. Seventy-five per cent of the seats in these two chambers are filled from single-member districts by individual candidates who win the largest number of votes in each district. The other 25 per cent of the seats are awarded to candidates from party lists on a proportional basis. The number of votes obtained by the winner in single-member districts is fully (for senators) or partially (for deputies) subtracted before allocating proportional seats, thus introducing a further element of proportionality. In regional elections, voters cast two ballots.

The first is cast in a contest for 80 per cent of the seats in the regional council, which are awarded on a proportional basis. The second ballot is a plurality vote; the regional coalition that wins a plurality is awarded all the remaining seats as well as the presidency of the regional government. Split voting is allowed. In provincial elections, only one vote is cast. If a single provincial list wins more than 50 per cent of the votes, seats are divided among all the lists according to their proportion of the vote, and the presidency goes to the head of the winning list. Otherwise, a run-off election must take place between the two most successful lists, the winner taking 60 per cent of the seats. A similar system is employed in municipal elections in cities with more than 15,000 inhabitants. In this case, however, two ballots are cast, one for the mayor and one for the council. Split voting is permitted. In smaller cities, only one ballot is cast and the winning list is awarded two-thirds of the seats as well as the mayoralty.

Referenda An important feature of the Italian constitution is that referenda must be held – in order to repeal laws or executive orders (except with regard to anything concerning the state budget or the ratification of international treaties) – at the request of 500,000 signatories or five regional councils. Referenda have been called extensively since the ’70s and have resulted a wide range of institutional and civic reforms. Important referenda held in the past include those on abortion, divorce, nuclear power and electoral reform. Some regions also have a provision for holding referenda. The constitution also provides that 50,000 members of the electorate may jointly present to parliament a draft bill. European Parliamentary Elections EU nationals over 18 who are resident in Italy are permitted to vote in European elections for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). If you wish to exercise your right to vote, you must request an application from the mayor of the municipality in which you’re resident not less than 90 days before polling day. You may be required to show your identity documents and give your last address in your home EU country in order to verify that you’re an EU citizen.

As far as elections to the European Parliament are concerned, you lose the right to vote in your EU country of origin if you choose to vote in Italy.

Question: How many members are there in the Italian lower house, the Chamber of Deputies?
Answer: 630