One of the many benefits of studying abroad is getting to experience a different political system first-hand. Political science students at JCU will be especially interested to see how the Italian government operates, how local media covers politics, and how people living in Italy react to new policies and pressing issues.
Italy’s political system has its own unique history and approach. Since 1946, Italy has been operating as a parliamentary republic. In order to govern the country, the executive has to enjoy the support of a majority of the members of each of the two chambers of Parliament.
Whether you’re a casual inquirer or a dedicated policy follower, this blog post will offer a quick guide to how the political system in Italy works.
Unlike the election process in the US and the UK, citizens vote for a particular party-list or coalition, though the voters can also indicate a preference among the people included in the list. A characteristic of the Italian elections is the power granted to political parties to select candidates and rank them in electoral lists: the higher the ranking, the greater the chances of being elected.
Italy also has both a President who acts as the head of state, and a Prime Minister who is the Head of Government and the leader of the Council of Ministers. Germany has a similar system in which the President functions as head of state and the Federal Chancellor acts as the head of government, while in the United States both these roles are occupied by the President.
Those who choose to focus on political science during their study in Italy will be interested to learn that for nearly 50 years, Italy’s political system was dominated by one party: the Christian Democracy. But during the 1990s, corruption scandals rocked Italian politics and led to a wave of new parties and coalitions.
Learn about the Italian power structure when you study political science in Italy
A key feature of the Italian political system is the proliferation of political parties, which can number well over a dozen. Some international students in Italy may be used to political systems in which a coalition government is formed only during a time of crisis, like a war or economic collapse. In Italy, on the other hand, because there are so many parties, coalition governments are the rule rather than the exception. With no single party commanding a solid majority of the votes, parties often band together to form a coalition, thereby strengthening their chance to win a majority. As you study abroad in Italy, you’ll have the chance to witness first-hand how the political system functions and its effects on the local life and people.
Students should know that coalition governments are a key feature of Italian politics
The President of Italy is Sergio Mattarella, who has served as the 12th President of Italy since 2015. As a Christian leftist politician, Mattarella’s election was supported by a broad center to center-left majority led by the Democratic Party (PD).
As of 2021, the Prime Minister of Italy is Mario Draghi - an Italian, economist, banker, and former President of the European Central Bank. Draghi came to power in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he was invited by President Mattarella to form a national unity government following the resignation of Prime Minister Conte. A national unity government is a coalition government consisting of all major parties. After negotiations with Italy’s main parties including the League, the Five Star Movement, the Democratic Party, and Forza Italy, Draghi assumed office as Prime Minister early this year.
First and foremost, Draghi’s unity government pledged to confront the coronavirus crisis and bolster the economy in Italy. As a respected figure at home and internationally, Draghi has been nicknamed “Super Mario,” with great expectations of what is to come for his leadership in Italy.
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