JUST Response country factsheets: ITALY


ITALIAN REPUBLIC

Basic facts
Head of state: Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
Prime minister: Silvio Berlusconi
Population: 58 million.
Population growth rate: 0.09%, greatly aided by immigrant births.
Religions: predominantly Roman Catholic; mature Protestant & Jewish communities; growing Muslim immigrant community.
Public debt: 106% of GDP (2004), the largest in the EU.
 
Persistent problems
Corruption is endemic, socially acceptable and institutional.
Organised crime includes money-laundering and extortion of protection money.
Poverty, underprivilege and unemployment prevail in the South. 
Italy is a key drug smuggling gateway for cocaine and heroin.
Illegal immigration (Italy has 7,600 kilometres of coastline).
 
Problems relating to Berlusconi
Unquestioning acceptance, promotion and implementation of US foreign policy.
Media censorship and control.
Attempts to weaken the independence of the judiciary through controversial reforms.
Unresolved conflict of Berlusconi's private and political interests.
 
Recent human rights violations
Excessive police violence against public demonstrators.
Ill-treatment of prisoners and overcrowded prison conditions.
Failure to implement international warrants for human rights violators.
 
Important dates
1861: Kingdom of Italy proclaimed under monarchy. Previously city-states.  
1870: Unification of Italy.
1922-1945: Fascism under Benito Mussolini.
1948: New constitution – monarchy replaced by democratic republic.
1992-95: Judicial investigations officially confirmed that the entire political class was corrupt.

Italian governments since 1945

    1. Ferruccio Parri; DC, PCI, PSIUP, PLI, DL, Partito d'Azione; lasted 157 days (20.06.1945-24.11.1945).
    2. Alcide De Gasperi; DC, PCI, PSI, PLI, DL, Partito d'Azione; lasted 203 days (10.12.1945-1.07.1946).
    3. Alcide De Gasperi; DC, PCI, PSI, PRI; lasted 191 days (13.07.1946-20.01.1947).
    4. Alcide De Gasperi; DC, PCI, PSI; lasted 100 days (2.02.1947-13.05.1947).
    5. Alcide De Gasperi; DC, PLI, PSLI, PRI; lasted 347 days (31.05.1947-12.05.1948).
    6. Alcide De Gasperi; DC, PLI, PSLI, PRI; lasted 599 days (23.05.1948-12.01.1950).
    7. Alcide De Gasperi; DC, PSLI, PRI; lasted 535 days (27.01.1950-16.07.1951).
    8. Alcide De Gasperi; DC, PRI; lasted 704 days (26.07.1951-29.06.1953).
    9. Alcide De Gasperi; DC; lasted 12 days (16.07.1953-28.07.1953).
    10. Giuseppe Pella; DC; lasted 141 days (17.08.1953-5.01.1954).
    11. Amintore Fanfani; DC; lasted 12 days (18.01.1954-30.01.1954).
    12. Mario Scelba; DC, PSDI, PLI; lasted 497 days (10.02.1954-22.06.1955).
    13. Antonio Segni; DC, PSDI, PLI; lasted 670 days (6.07.1955-6.05.1957).
    14. Adone Zoli; DC; lasted 396 days (19.05.1957-19.06.1958).
    15. Amintore Fanfani; DC, PSDI; lasted 209 days (1.07.1958-26.01.1959).
    16. Antonio Segni; DC; lasted 374 days (15.02.1959-24.02.1960).
    17. Fernando Tambroni; DC; lasted 116 days (25.03.1960-19.07.1960).
    18. Amintore Fanfani; DC; lasted 556 days (26.07.1960-2.02.1962).
    19. Amintore Fanfani; DC, PSDI, PRI; lasted 449 days (21.02.1962-16.05.1963).
    20. Giovanni Leone; DC; lasted 137 days (21.06.1963-5.11.1963).
    21. Aldo Moro; DC,PSI, PSDI, PRI; lasted 205 days (4.12.1963-26.06.1964).
    22. Aldo Moro; DC,PSI, PSDI, PRI; lasted 548 days (22.07.1964-21.01.1966).
    23. Aldo Moro; DC,PSI, PSDI, PRI; lasted 833 days (23.02.1966-5.06.1968).
    24. Giovanni Leone; DC; lasted 148 days (24.06.1968-19.11.1968).
    25. Mariano Rumor; DC, PSU, PRI; lasted 205 days (12.12.1968-5.07.1969).
    26. Mariano Rumor; DC; lasted 186 days (5.08.1969-7.02.1970).
    27. Mariano Rumor; DC, PSI, PSDI, PRI; lasted 101 days (27.03.1970-6.07.1970).
    28. Emilio Colombo; DC, PSI, PSDI, PRI; lasted 527 days (6.08.1970-15.01.1972).
    29. Giulio Andreotti; DC; lasted 9 days (17.02.1972-26.02.1972).
    30. Giulio Andreotti; DC, PSDI, PLI; lasted 351 days (26.06.1972-12.06.1973).
    31. Mariano Rumor; DC, PSI, PSDI, PRI; lasted 230 days (7.07.1973-2.03.1974).
    32. Mariano Rumor; DC, PSI, PSDI; lasted 203 days (14.03.1974-3.10.1974).
    33. Aldo Moro; DC; lasted 410 days (23.11.1974-7.01.1976).
    34. Aldo Moro; DC; lasted 78 days (12.02.1976-30.04.1976).
    35. Giulio Andreotti; DC; lasted 536 days (29.07.1976-16.01.1978).
    36. Giulio Andreotti; DC; lasted 326 days (11.03.1978-31.01.1979).
    37. Giulio Andreotti; DC, PRI, PSDI; lasted 11 days (20.03.1979-31.03.1979).
    38. Francesco Cossiga; DC, PLI, PSDI; lasted 228 days (4.08.1979-19.03.1980).
    39. Francesco Cossiga; DC, PSI, PRI; lasted 176 days (4.04.1980-27.09.1980).
    40. Arnaldo Forlani; DC, PSI, PSDI, PRI; lasted 220 days (18.10.1980-26.05.1981).
    41. Giovanni Spadolini; DC, PSI, PSDI, PRI, PLI; lasted 405 days (28.06.1981-7.08.1982).
    42. Giovanni Spadolini; DC, PSI, PSDI, PRI, PLI; lasted 82 days (23.08.1982-13.11.1982).
    43. Amintore Fanfani; DC, PSI, PSDI, PLI; lasted 149 days (1.12.1982-29.04.1983).
    44. Bettino Craxi; DC, PSI, PSDI, PRI, PLI; lasted 1,058 days (4.08.1983-27.06.1986).
    45. Bettino Craxi; DC, PSI, PSDI, PRI, PLI; lasted 214 days (1.08.1986-3.03.1987).
    46. Amintore Fanfani; DC, Indipendenti; lasted 11 days (17.04.1987-28.04.1987).
    47. Giovanni Goria; DC, PSI, PSDI, PRI, PLI; lasted 227 days (28.07.1987-11.03.1988).
    48. Ciriaco De Mita; DC, PSI, PSDI, PRI, PLI; lasted 401 days (13.04.1988-19.05.1989).
    49. Giulio Andreotti; DC, PSI, PSDI, PRI, PLI; lasted 615 days (22.07.1989-29.03.1991).
    50. Giulio Andreotti; DC, PSI, PSDI, PLI; lasted 378 days (12.04.1991-24.04.1992).
    51. Giuliano Amato; DC, PSI, PSDI, PLI; lasted 298 days (28.06.1992-22.04.1993).
    52. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi; DC, PSI, PSDI, PLI; lasted 353 days (28.04.1993-16.04.1994).
    53. Silvio Berlusconi; FI, LN, AN, CCD, UDC; lasted 226 days (10.05.1994-22.12.1994).
    54. Lamberto Dini; Indipendenti; lasted 486 days (17.01.1995-17.05.1996).
    55. Romano Prodi; PDS, PPI, Lista Dini, UD, Verdi; lasted 876 days (18.05.1996-9.10.1998).
    56. Massimo D’Alema; Ulivo, PDCI, UDEUR; lasted 423 days (27.10.1998-18.12.1999).
    57. Massimo D’Alema; DS, PPI, Democratici, UDEUR, PDCI. Verdi, Rinnovamento; lasted 119 days (22.12.1999-19.4.2000).
    58. Giuliano Amato; DS, PPI, Democratici, UDEUR, SDI, PDCI, Verdi, Rinnovamento, Indipendenti; lasted 401 days (25.04.2000-31.5.2001).
    59. Silvio Berlusconi; FI, LN, AN, CCD, UDC; since 21.06.2001.

[More information will be added at future updates]

 

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