Italy Essay, Research Paper

The Italian system reflects a form of representative democracy in that it is made up of bodies composed of representatives of the sovereign people who exercise powers pertaining to various functions. The most important of these, is obviously Parliament. The Constitution also provides for two institutions of direct democracy – the possibility for legislation to be introduced by citizens in the form of private bills and the request for the holding of a popular referendum to repeal existing legislation. In Italy, the parliamentary (and not presidential) system, together with the electoral system, which produced a high number of political parties and the need of coalition governments, decides a situation in which frequent change of government is acceptable and partly physiological.1

Coming to Modern Power

Between 1945 and 1948 a new Italian nation rose up from the disaster of war and fascism. In June 1946 a popular election abolished the monarchy in favor of a republic; a new constitution was embraced the next year. The Communists, the Christian Democrats, and the Socialists became the most powerful political parties in the country. The Christian Democrats, the largest of these parties, originally under the leadership of Alcide DE GASPERI, ruled the Italian government after 1948. De Gasperi pushed for industrial growth, agricultural reform, and close cooperation and allegiance with the United States and the Vatican. With the help of much U.S. aid, Italy underwent an economic recovery that had rapid industrial expansion and a fast increase in the standard of living. Italy joined the NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION in 1949, the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951, and the Common Market in 1958. In the 1960s, there was continued prosperity and a lessening of tensions between right and left. In the early 1970s the Italian Communists, led by Enrico BERLINGUER, became the main advocates of Eurocommunism, a doctrine

stressing independence of the USSR. In the late 1970s and early 1980s Italy, with other Western nations, experienced chronic inflation and unemployment. Labor unrest, frequent government scandals, and the violence of extremist groups (especially the left-wing Red Brigades terrorists, who kidnapped and murdered former premier Aldo MORO in 1978), all supplied to an unstable political situation. In 1981 the Christian Democrats relinquished the premiership for the first time since World War II when a Republican, Giovanni Spadolini, became Prime Minister. The economy, which had been suffering during the 1970s, experienced a new resurgence under the leadership (1983-87) of Socialist Bettino CRAXI, a strong premier who stayed in office longer than any of his postwar predecessors. The Craxi government was succeeded by two coalitions who were not in power for very long and then by the government of Christian Democrat Giulio Andreotti, which took office in July 1989.2

By the end of the Second World War, Italian citizens were asked to choose, by means of a referendum on 2 June 1946, between a monarchy and a republic and to elect a Constituent Assembly whose job it was to make the new constitution. This was to replace the Albertine Statute issued in the 19th century from the Piedmonts King Charles Albert. Most of the electors voted for a republic and so the last kind of the Savoy dynasty, Humbert II, went into exile. All of the 556 members of the Assembly adopted the text of the Republican Constitution that has been in force since 1 January 1948.

The Parliament

In present times though, the Italian Republic, similar to most other European countries, has chosen a parliamentary system of government. In this system, the most important political role is played by the Government, which runs according to the will, and through the control, of the Parliament. In this understanding of control and trust and balance is created between the two basic bodies: Parliament and Government. The Parliament is made up of two houses: The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Institutional equilibrium is supervised by the President of the Republic who is the supreme arbitrator and guarantor of the Constitution and can appoint a new Government and if the present one loses the confidence of Parliament, dissolves the two Houses and calls elections. The Italian system differs from the so called “pure” constitutional systems which were typical of the last century, like those found in France and the United States, where the President holds political power, the ministers are responsible to the President and Parliament fulfills a purely legislative purpose. The Italian Parliament, created from the classic two-house system of British origin, is made up of a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate. Citizens elect the 630 Deputies over the age of 18. Deputies must be over 25 years of age. The 315 Senators are elected by citizens over the age of 25. Senators must be over 40 years of age.

Legislature

The legislative function is the responsibility of Parliament that passes acts (laws) that contain precepts made to manage the conduct of citizens. The motivation for the creation of laws may come from the Government, any member of Parliament, the Regional councils or the National Council for the Economy and Labor (a consulting body for Parliament and the Government made up of experts and representatives of the economic world). Also, the legislation may be introduced by the presentation of a private bill by at least 50,000 voters. The fact that the Italian system is a two-house system, every bill is first examined and overlooked by one of the two chambers. Depending upon the significance of the subject, the intended law is discussed and approved in assembly or by a special deliberating commission. In other cases it is investigated initially by a parliamentary commission and finally debated in the chamber. When a bill is approved by one House, it passes to the other. If it has been subject to modifications, it returns to the other house until both approve the same version. For the law to be put into force, the President of the Republic must promulgate it. The Government can also carry out legislative functions. This occurs when it is delegated by Parliament to pass acts which are called “delegated laws”, or “legislative decrees”, or when, in cases of extreme necessity or urgency, in order to miss the unavoidable delays or regular parliamentary procedure, it passes decrees which bear the force of law. These must thereafter be converted formally into law by Parliament within 60 days. The power of the people to introduce legislation may be exercised with private bills drafted in articles and proposed by a minimum of 50,000 electors. A popular referendum must be held to decide the total or partial repeal of a law when requested by at least 500,000 electors or five Regional Councils. A referendum is also needed for the approval of amendments to the Constitution. A local referendum may also be called to modify regional legislation.

Government

The responsibility of Government is of the most important political and administrative functions, which is made up of the President of the Council and the Ministers who together make up the Council of Ministers. The President of the Council has a position of pre-eminence among the Ministers; but he is not their hierarchical superior, but rather a “first among equals”. He leads the policy of the Government that he is responsible for, promises the unity of political and administrative affairs, and promotes and co-ordinates the activity of the ministers. Each Minister leads a Ministry, the administrative activity for which he directs, is assisted by one or more Under-secretaries (Vice Ministers). The Council of Ministers is a collegial body that decides on all matters regarding the political and administrative activities of the State. Some Governments in recent times established a Cabinet, which is more of a restricted body involving only the most important Ministers. To make a government, the President of the Republic appoints the President of the Council, who presents himself with his Cabinet, and the whole Government has to obtain a vote of confidence from Parliament on the grounds of the political and administrative program it suggests and proposes. Each Ministry has a complex organization with multiple officials who are responsible hierarchically to the Minister. There are central and outlying offices that do general or specific functions. The number and assignment of Ministries depends on technical requirements, and also on political factors; meaning, the opportunity of dividing up the offices between the different parties of the government coalition.1

Italy was a founding member of the European Economic Community (EEC) and joined in the growing political and economic unification of Western Europe, including the introduction of the euro in January 1999 although this unification may be a temporary foothold that Italy has on a ledge of stability. Continuing problems include the ravages of organized crime. illegal immigration, high unemployment, and the low incomes and technical standards of Southern Italy compared with the North. This developed and stable industrial north, controlled by private companies, and economy, which is often referred to as basically capitalistic, is still divided into a less developed agricultural south, with large public enterprises and more than a sad 20% unemployment. Most raw materials needed by industry and over 75% of energy requirements must be imported.3 These figures are not immediately promising for some future areas of Italy. One source of power that can have effect on the government’s decisions in Italy is the Roman Catholic Church, which is more closely followed and respected than in the West. Italy’s governmental and political systems have risen and fallen through the ages, allowing it to realize and experience many different types of government, with different leaders with different intentions, good and ill purposed. This fact is further exemplified by Italy’s history of having come to it’s 55th governmental system and leader. This in itself depicts the picture that Italy cannot seem to remain at a stable governmental system. Although Italy has become too “big for it’s britches” in that it is over populated, highly unemployed, has not enough natural resources, and tends to lean to the left side of the scale, the system which has been fairly and democratically judged the best to lead it’s people will ultimately prove it’s worth.

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