The Government and Political System in Italy

Italy has a bicameral parliament (Parlamento), consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate, a separate judiciary, and an executive branch composed of a Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.

The President of the Italian Republic heads the armed forces and has powers to veto legislation, disband parliament and call elections. He is elected for seven years by the parliament sitting jointly with a small number of regional delegates. The president nominates the prime minister, who proposes the other ministers. The Council of Ministers must retain the support of both houses.

The houses of parliament are popularly and directly elected through a complex electoral system (latest amendment in 2005), which combines proportional representation with a majority prize for the largest coalition. All Italian citizens, who are older than 18, can vote.

Giorgio Napolitano, a former Communist Party member, is Italy's 11th President and Romano Prodi, an economist and former academic, is Prime Minister currently.