Government of Italy

Part of the Politics series
Politics of Italy
Constitution Constitutional laws Lateran Treaty
Head of state President (list) Sergio Mattarella
Executive Prime Minister (list) Giorgia Meloni Council of Ministers Current Cabinet Undersecretaries Ministries
Legislature Parliament (list) Senate of the Republic Chamber of Deputies
Judiciary Constitutional Court Supreme Court of Cassation Court of Assizes Code of Criminal Procedure
Constitutional institutions National Council for Economics and Labour Council of State Court of Audit High Council of the Judiciary High Council of Defence
Constituent entities Regions Aosta Valley Piedmont Lombardy Veneto Trentino-South Tyrol Friuli-Venezia Giulia Emilia-Romagna Liguria Tuscany Umbria Marche Molise Lazio Abruzzo Campania Apulia Basilicata Calabria Sicily Sardinia Provinces Municipalities
Elections, referendums Recent general elections 2006 2008 2013 2018 2022 Recent referendums 2005 (fertility law) 2006 (Constitution) 2009 (electoral law) 2011 (multiple issues) April 2016 (oil drilling) December 2016 (Constitution) 2020 (Constitution) 2022 (multiple issues) Constituencies
Foreign relations United Nations OSCE NATO Council of Europe European Union
Related topics Government Taxation Gazzetta Ufficiale (government journal)
Politics portal
v t e

The Government of Italy is a democratic republic, and was established by the Italian constitution in 1948. It consists of legislative, executive, and judicial subdivisions, as well as of a head of state, also known as the president.

The Constitution of the Italian Republic is the result of the work of the Constituent Assembly, which was formed by the representatives of all the anti-fascist forces that contributed to the defeat of nazis and the fascist forces during the Italian Civil War.^[1] Article 1 of the Italian constitution states: ”Italy is a democratic Republic founded on labour. Sovereignty belongs to the people and is exercised by the people in the forms and within the limits of the constitution.”^[2]

By stating that Italy is a democratic republic, the article solemnly declares the results of the institutional referendum which took place on 2 June 1946 valid. The state is not the hereditary property of the ruling monarch, but instead a res publica, belonging to everyone.

The people who are called to temporarily administer the republic are not owners, but servants; and the governed are not subjects, but citizens. And the sovereignty, that is the power to make choices that involve the entire community, belongs to the people, in accordance with the concept of a democracy, from the Greek demos (people) and kratìa (power). However, this power is not to be exercised arbitrarily by mob rule, but in the forms and within the limits established by the rule of law.