Italian Parliament

Italian Parliament. The national legislature of Italy is a perfect bicameral system, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. Both houses possess identical powers and functions, a structure established by the Constitution of Italy which came into force in 1948. It convenes in Rome, with the lower house meeting in Palazzo Montecitorio and the upper house in Palazzo Madama.

History and evolution

The modern institution was established following the 1946 Italian institutional referendum which abolished the Kingdom of Italy and inaugurated the Italian Republic. Its foundational text was drafted by the Constituent Assembly of Italy, elected in 1946 and featuring prominent figures like Alcide De Gasperi and Palmiro Togliatti. This assembly replaced the previous Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy, which had been shaped by the Albertine Statute and was later manipulated during the Fascist era under Benito Mussolini. Significant reforms have occurred, including a major change in 1963 setting the number of deputies at 630 and senators at 315, and the pivotal 2016 Italian constitutional referendum which sought to reduce the Senate's powers but was rejected. The most recent transformation came with the 2020 Italian constitutional referendum, which reduced the total number of parliamentarians.

Composition and structure

It is composed of two distinct assemblies: the Chamber of Deputies, with 400 members, and the Senate of the Republic, with 200 elected members. Additionally, the Senate includes a small number of senators for life, appointed by the President of Italy or former presidents, such as Mario Draghi and Giorgio Napolitano. Each house is presided over by a President, currently Lorenzo Fontana for the Chamber and Ignazio La Russa for the Senate, who manage internal order and debate. Members are organized into parliamentary groups based on political affiliation, and work is conducted through permanent committees like the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.

Powers and functions

Its primary constitutional role is the exercise of legislative power, shared equally between both chambers. It holds the power to amend the Constitution of Italy through a rigorous process requiring absolute majorities. It possesses key non-legislative powers, including voting on a confidence or no-confidence in the Council of Ministers, and electing members of superior judicial bodies like the Constitutional Court and the High Council of the Judiciary. Furthermore, it declares a state of war, ratifies international treaties such as those of the European Union, and authorizes the President of Italy to issue decree-laws.

Legislative process

The legislative process is characterized by a navette system, where a bill, or disegno di legge, must be approved in an identical text by both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Legislation can be proposed by the Government, individual members, regional councils like the Regional Council of Lombardy, or through a popular initiative. Bills are typically examined by specialized committees, such as the Justice Committee, which can amend them in a deliberative capacity. The final text is promulgated by the President of Italy and published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale before becoming law.

Relationship with the Government

The relationship is defined by the principle of fiduciary relationship, as the Government must receive and maintain the confidence of both houses. This is tested through mandatory confidence votes following the formation of a new government, such as that led by Giorgia Meloni. Parliament exercises control over the executive through mechanisms like question time, inquiries, and investigative committees, such as those on the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. The Chamber of Deputies also holds the power to authorize judicial proceedings against ministers and to impeach the President of Italy for high treason.

Electoral system

The electoral system is governed by laws like Rosatellum bis, which establishes a mixed-member majoritarian system. For the Chamber of Deputies, 400 seats are filled: 147 through first-past-the-post in single-member constituencies and 253 by proportional representation in multi-member districts. The Senate is elected on a regional basis, with 200 seats distributed similarly. A national threshold of 3% for proportional seats aims to reduce fragmentation, though parties representing linguistic minorities, like the South Tyrolean People's Party, are exempt. The voting age is 18 for the lower house and 25 for the Senate.