Independence: 17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
Constitution: 1 January 1948
Legal system: based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; appeals treated as trials de novo; judicial review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections,
where minimum age is 25)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Oscar Luigi SCALFARO (since 28 May 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the
President of the Council of Ministers) Lamberto DINI (since 1 February
1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; nominated by the President of the
Council (i.e., Prime Minister) and approved by the President of the
Republic
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlamento)
Senate (Senato della Repubblica): elections last held 27-28 March 1994
(next must be held by spring 1999, but may be held by end of 1995);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (326 total, 315
elected, 11 appointed senators-for-life) PDS 61, Northern League 60,
National Alliance 48, Forza Italia 36, Italian Popular Party 31,
Communist Refoundation 18, Greens and The Network 13, Italian
Socialists 13, Christian Democratic Center 12, Democratic Alliance 8,
Christian Socialists 5, Pact for Italy 4, Radical Party (Pannella
List) 1, others 5
Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati): elections last held 27-28
March 1994 (next must be held by spring 1999, but may be held by end
of 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (630 total)
Northern League 117, PDS 114, Forza Italia 113, National Alliance 109,
Communist Refoundation 39, Christian Democratic Center 33, Italian
Popular Party 33, Greens and The Network 20, Democratic Alliance 18,
Italian Socialists 16, Pact for Italy 13, Christian Socialists 5
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale)
Political parties and leaders: Forza Italia (FI), Silvio BERLUSCONI;
National Alliance, Gianfranco FINI, party secretary; Northern League -
Federal Italy (NL), Umberto BOSSI, president; Italian Social Movement,
Pino RAUTI; Democratic Party of the Left (PDS, Massimo D'ALEMA,
secretary; Communist Refoundation (RC), Fausto BERTINOTTI; Greens,
Gianni MATTIOLI; Italian Socialists, Ottaviano DELTURCO; Rete (The
Network), Leoluca ORLANDO; Christian Socialists, Ermanno GORRIERI;
Pact for Italy, Mario SEGNI; Italian Popular Party (PPI), Rocco
BUTTIGLIONE, Gerardo BIANCO; Christian Democratic Center (CCD), Pier
Ferdinando CASINI; Union of the Democratic Center (UDC), Raffaele
COSTA; Pannella List, Marco PANNELLA
Other political or pressure groups: the Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union confederations (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL which is PDS-dominated, Confederazione Italiana dei Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL which is centerist, and Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL which is center-left); Italian manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria, Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori, Confagricoltura)