Under the 1948 constitution, legislative power is vested
in a bicameral parliament consisting of the 630-member
chamber of deputies, which is popularly elected, and
the senate, made up of 315 members elected by region,
plus 11 life members. The chamber is the more important
body. The council of ministers, led by the premier,
is the country's executive; it must have the confidence
of parliament. The head of state is the president, chosen
in a joint session by parliament. The country is divided
into 20 regions, which are subdivided into a total of
94 provinces. The country's 20 regions also have parliaments
and governments with limited powers. In 1989 the Italian
judicial system was significantly changed, allowing
for cross-examination of witnesses and the assumption
of innocence on the part of the defendant.
In 1983, the republic's first Socialist-led coalition
took power under Premier Bettino Craxi. The continuing
sluggishness of the economy caused Craxi to institute
another austerity budget, which included tax increases,
service cuts, and wage adjustments. Craxi led the government
for four years, until he resigned in 1987 and was replaced
by Christian Democrat Giovanni Goria. Ciriaco De Mita
succeeded Goria in 1988, and was himself succeeded in
1989 by Giulio Andreotti, who at the age of 70 became
premier for the sixth time. In 1991 the Italian Communist
party changed its name to the Democratic Party of the
Left. In the 1992 elections the Christian Democrats
barely maintained their coalition with the Socialists,
the Liberals, and the Social Democrats. Socialist Giuliano
Amato was named premier.
Corruption probes, begun in 1992 and headed by Amato,
led to the arrest of hundreds of business and political
figures and the investigation of many others, including
several party leaders and former premiers. In 1993 Premier
Amato resigned and Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, head of Italy's
central bank, succeeded him. In addition, legislation
largely ending proportional representation in parliament
was passed. The Christian Democratic party changed its
name to the Italian Popular party in 1994, but after
a split in 1995, the centre-right faction became the
United Christian Democratic party.
In new elections in March, 1994, a coalition of conservatives
and neofascists won a majority in parliament. Billionaire
industrialist Silvio Berlusconi
of the fledgling conservative party Forza Italia became
premier, but his coalition government disintegrated
in Dec. It was succeeded by a nonpolitical centre-left
government under Lamberto Dini, and then, after elections
in Apr., 1996, by a centre-left government under Romano
Prodi that included the Democratic Party of the Left.
Following a series of upheavals over austerity measures
put in place to prepare for European economic union,
Prodi's government collapsed
in October, 1997. Massimo D'Alema,
of the Democratic Party of the Left, became premier
as head of a new coalition government (Ulivo's
coalition) that included seven political parties.
After 2 years leading the government, managing the country
with economic rigor and eventually qualifying to join
the European currency (Euro), Amato succeeded as premier.
However the government remained unpopular and, once
again, Forza Italia won the
election in May 2001 and Silvio Berlusconi became premier.
Parliament named former premier Ciampi
as president in May, 1999, replacing Oscar Luigi Scalfaro,
who had held the office since 1992.
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