Italian Institutions

Question 1

What type of governement is Italy?

Answer 1

Italy is a parliamentary republic with a democratic system of government.

Question 2

The President of the Republic

Answer 2

The President is the head of state and is elected by the Parliament for 7 years. He has no decisional powers, he represents the unity of the nation and makes sure that the constitution is upheld.

Question 3

The Parliament (Parlamento)

Answer 3

Italy has a bicameral Parliament consisting of two houses:

• The Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati): it’s the legislative assembly. Members of the Chamber are 400 and they’re elected by proportional representation.
• The Senate (Senato): composed by 315 Senators, Senators are elected by an electoral college.
  The Senate controls the Italian government, Senators can question government members, engage in debates and express confidence or no-confidence in the government.

there are 5 Life Senators who are elected by the President and have a symbolic and cultural role in the Italian polytical system

Question 4

The Governement

Answer 4

The government is headed by the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President. The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the majority party in the Chamber of Deputies. The government is responsible for making sure that the laws are followed and carried out, it creates and suggests new policies and manages the Security.

Question 5

The Judiciary (Magistratura)

Answer 5

Italy has an indipendent judiciary system that explains and enforces the laws. The highest court is the Court of Cassation (Corte di Cassazione), which ensures uniformity in the interpretation of the law.

Question 6

Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale)

Answer 6

The Constitutional Court is the highest authority for interpreting the Italian Constitution. It consists of 15 judges appointed by various institutions, including the President, the Parliament, and the High Council of the Judiciary. The Constitutional Court checks if Italian laws comply with the Constitution.

Question 7

Regions and Local Governments (Regioni e Enti Locali)

Answer 7

Italy is divided into 20 regions with their own regional government. There are also local governments, like municipalities (comuni), provinces (province), and metropolitan cities (città metropolitane).

Question 8

The Armed Forces (Forze Armate)

Answer 8

Italy has a professional military consisting of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Carabinieri. The President is the Commander-in-Chief.

Question 9

The Quirinal

Answer 9

The official residence of the President of the Republic.

Question 10

The Bank of Italy

Answer 10

The institution in charge of monetary policy and the banking system.