The Government of Italy (formally known as the Italian Government) is the central executive authority of Italy. The Italian government is that of a democratic republic, established by the Italian constitution in 1948. It consists of legislative, executive, and judicial subdivisions, as well as of a head of state, known as the president.
The Constitution of the Italian Republic was created by the Constituent Assembly, which was formed by the representatives of all the anti-fascist forces that contributed to the defeat of the Nazis and fascist forces during the Italian Civil War and the Common Man's Front. 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."
By stating that Italy is a democratic republic, the article solemnly declares the results of the institutional referendum that 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.
The president of the Republic of Italy is the head of state and represents the unity of the nation (art. 87 of the Constitution). The president serves as a point of connection between the three branches as he is elected by the lawmakers, appoints the executive and is the president of the judiciary. The president is also commander-in-chief in time of war.
The president of the Republic of Italy is elected for seven years by Parliament in joint session, together with three representatives of each region, except for the Aosta Valley, which gets only one representative. These delegates are elected by their respective regional councils so as to guarantee representation to minorities. The election needs a wide majority that is progressively reduced from two-thirds to one-half plus one of the votes after the third ballot. The only presidents ever to be elected on the first ballot are Francesco Cossiga and Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. Ciampi was replaced by Giorgio Napolitano, who was elected on 10 May 2006. While not forbidden by the law, no president had ever served two terms until 20 April 2013, when President Giorgio Napolitano was re-elected.
According to the constitution, any citizen who is 50 years old on the day of the election, and enjoys civil and political rights, can be elected president. The president cannot hold office in any other branch of power and the office's salary and privileges are established by law.
Among the powers of the president, they have the capacity to:
Send messages to the parliament, authorize the introduction of bills by the government, and promulgate laws, decrees and regulations.
Dissolve one or both houses of parliament, in consultation with their presidents, except during the last six months of his term, unless that period coincides at least in part with the final six months of the parliament.
Call a general referendum under certain circumstances established by the constitution.
Appoint state officials in the cases established by the law.
Accredit and receive diplomats, and ratify international treaties, after the parliament's authorization when required.
Make declarations of war agreed upon by the parliament, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Grant pardons, commute sentences, and confer the orders, decorations, and medals of Italy.
The president also presides over the High Council of the Judiciary and the Supreme Council of Defence. Usually, the president tries to stay out of the day-to-day politics, and tries to be an institutional guarantee for all those involved in the political process. The president is not responsible for the actions performed in the exercise of his duties, except for high treason and violation of the Italian constitution, for which the president can be impeached by the parliament in joint session, with an absolute majority of its members.
With article 48 of the constitution, which guarantees the right to vote, the people exercise their power through their elected representatives in the parliament. The Italian Parliament has a bicameral system, and consists of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic, elected every five years.
The Chamber of Deputies is elected by direct and universal suffrage by voters who are eighteen or older. There are 400 deputies, eight of which are elected in the overseas constituencies. All voters who are twenty-five or older on election day are eligible to be deputies.