Editing Politics of Italy (section)

==Government==
{{main|Government of Italy}}
[[File:Political System of Italy.svg|thumb|upright=1.6|The political system of Italy]]
The [[Italian constitution]] is the result of the work of the [[Constituent Assembly of Italy|Constituent Assembly]], which was formed by the representatives of all the [[anti-fascist]] forces that contributed to the defeat of Nazi and Fascist forces during the [[liberation of Italy]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McGaw Smyth |first1=Howard |title=Italy: From Fascism to the Republic (1943-1946) |journal=The Western Political Quarterly |date=September 1948 |volume=1 |issue=3 |pages=205–222 |doi=10.2307/442274|jstor=442274 }}</ref> Article 1 of the Italian constitution states:<ref name=ItaConst>{{cite web|title=The Italian Constitution|url=http://www.quirinale.it/page/costituzione|publisher=The official website of the Presidency of the Italian Republic}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|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|Article 1 of the Constitution of Italy}}

By stating that Italy is a [[democratic republic]], the article solemnly declares the results of the [[1946 Italian constitutional referendum|constitutional referendum]] which took place on 1 June 1946. The [[Italy|State]] is not a hereditary property of the [[King of Italy|ruling monarch]], but it is 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 [[Commoners|subjects]], but [[Citizenship|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 [[Rule of the mob|arbitrarily]], but in the forms and within the limits established by the [[rule of law]].

===Head of state===
{{Further|President of Italy}}
[[File:Sergio Mattarella Presidente della Repubblica Italiana.jpg|thumb|right|180px|upright|[[Sergio Mattarella]], [[President of Italy]] since 3 February 2015]]
As the [[head of state]], the [[President of Italy]], officially denoted as President of the Italian Republic, represents national unity, and guarantees that Italian politics comply with the [[Constitution of Italy|Constitution]]. The president serves as a point of connection between the [[Separation of powers|three branches of the government]], but has got considerably less powers than those previously given to the [[King of Italy]]. The President of Italy is the [[commander-in-chief]] of the [[Italian Armed Forces]] and chairs the [[High Council of the Judiciary (Italy)|High Council of the Judiciary]]. A president's term of office lasts for seven years.<ref name=ItaConst />

The President of Italy is elected by an [[electoral college]] of minimum 658 members (according to the number of [[Senators for life in Italy|senators for life]]). It comprises both chambers of the Italian Parliament—the [[Chamber of Deputies (Italy)|Chamber of Deputies]] and the [[Senate of the Republic (Italy)|Senate of the Republic]]—meeting in [[joint session]], combined with 58 special electors appointed by the [[Regional council (Italy)|regional councils]] of the 20 [[regions of Italy]]. Three representatives come from each region (save for the [[Aosta Valley]], which due to its small size only appoints one), so as to guarantee representation for localities and minorities.

===Legislative branch===
{{further|Italian Parliament}}
{{multiple image
| width1            = 130
| width2            = 130
| image1            = Lorenzo Fontana in 2024 (cropped).jpg
| caption1          = [[Lorenzo Fontana]], [[List of Presidents of the Italian Chamber of Deputies|President of the Chamber of Deputies]] since 14 October 2022
| image2            = Ignazio La Russa datisenato 2022.jpeg
| caption2          = [[Ignazio La Russa]], [[List of Presidents of the Italian Senate|President of the Senate]] since 13 October 2022
}}
With article 48 of the [[Constitution of Italy#The Parliament .28Articles 55-82.29|Constitution]], which guarantees the [[right to vote]], the people exercise their power through their [[elected representatives]] in the [[Italian Parliament|Parliament]].<ref name="ItaConst"/> The [[Italian Parliament|Parliament]] has a [[Bicameralism|bicameral system]], and consists of the [[Italian Chamber of Deputies|Chamber of deputies]] and the [[Italian Senate|Senate]], elected every five years.<ref>Article 60 of the Italian Constitution</ref> The two houses together form a perfect bicameral system, meaning they perform identical functions, but do so separately.

The [[Chamber of Deputies (Italy)|Chamber of Deputies]], the lower house of the bicameral Italian Parliament, has 400 members, of which 392 are elected from Italian constituencies and 8 from Italian citizens living abroad. Members of the Chamber of Deputies are styled ''[[The Honourable]]'' (Italian: ''Onorevole'')<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dizionari.corriere.it/dizionario_italiano/O/onorevole.shtml|title=onorevole [o-no-ré-vo-le] agg., s.|series=Dizionario di Italiano|website=[[Corriere della Sera]]|access-date=15 June 2020|language=it}}</ref> and meet at [[Palazzo Montecitorio]] in [[Rome]].

The [[Senate of the Republic (Italy)|Senate of the Republic]], the upper house of the bicameral Italian Parliament, has 200 members, of which 196 are elected from Italian constituencies and 4 from Italian citizens living abroad. In addition, there is a variable number (currently 6) of [[senator for life|senators for life]] (''senatori a vita''), either appointed by the President of the Republic or rightfully so as former Presidents of the Republic. Members of the Senate are styled ''[[Senator]]'' or ''[[The Honourable]] Senator'' (Italian: ''Onorevole Senatore'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dizionari.corriere.it/dizionario_italiano/O/onorevole.shtml|title=onorevole [o-no-ré-vo-le] agg., s.|series=Dizionario di Italiano|website=[[Corriere della Sera]]|access-date=15 June 2020|language=it}}</ref> and meet at [[Palazzo Madama, Rome|Palazzo Madama]] in [[Rome]].

===Executive branch ===
{{Further|Prime Minister of Italy|Council of Ministers (Italy)}}
[[File:Giorgia Meloni Official 2023 crop.jpg|thumbnail|right|180px|[[Giorgia Meloni]], [[List of prime ministers of Italy|prime minister]] since 22 October 2022]]

The [[Constitution of Italy#The Government .28Articles 92-100.29|Constitution]] establishes the Government of [[Italy]] as composed of the president of the council ([[Prime Minister of Italy]]) and ministers. The [[President of Italy]] appoints the prime minister and, on their proposal, the ministers that form its [[Cabinet of Italy|cabinet]].<ref name="ItaConst"/>

The [[Prime Minister of Italy]], officially the President of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic,<ref>{{cite web|title=Interoffice memorandum: Change of name of country|url=http://unterm.un.org/dgaacs/unterm.nsf/c2f5f1ea9d52ce7485256dc5006e5940/a7c582eab561fa3f852573b600767fad/$FILE/Italy.pdf|publisher=United Nations Secretariat|access-date=28 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304003523/http://unterm.un.org/dgaacs/unterm.nsf/c2f5f1ea9d52ce7485256dc5006e5940/a7c582eab561fa3f852573b600767fad/$FILE/Italy.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> is the [[head of government]] of the [[Italy|Italian Republic]]. The Prime Minister of Italy must have the confidence of the [[Italian Parliament]] to stay in office. The Prime Minister of Italy is the president of the [[Council of Ministers of Italy|Council of Ministers]] which holds executive power and the position is similar to those in most other [[parliamentary system]]s. The formal [[Italian order of precedence]] lists the office as being, ceremonially, the fourth-highest Italian state office after the president and the heads of the legislative chambers.

The [[Council of Ministers (Italy)|Council of Ministers]] is the principal executive organ of the [[Government of Italy]]. It comprises the President of the council (the [[Prime Minister of Italy]]), all the [[Minister (government)|ministers]], and the undersecretary to the President of the council. Deputy ministers ({{langx|it|viceministri}}) and junior ministers ({{langx|it|sottosegretari}}) are part of the government, but are not members of the Council of Ministers.

===Judicial branch===
{{Further|Law of Italy|Judiciary of Italy|Constitutional Court of Italy|Court of Cassation (Italy)}}
The [[law of Italy]] has a plurality of sources of production. These are arranged in a hierarchical scale, under which the rule of a lower source cannot conflict with the rule of an upper source (hierarchy of sources).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dirittoeconomia.net/diritto/fonti_diritto/gerarchia_fonti.htm|title=GERARCHIA DELLE FONTI|access-date=26 March 2022|language=it}}</ref> The [[Constitution of Italy|Constitution of 1948]] is the main source.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/law/help/guide/nations/italy.php|title=Guide to Law Online: Italy &#124; Law Library of Congress|website=www.loc.gov}}</ref>

The [[Constitution of Italy#The Judicial Branch .28Articles 101-113.29|Constitution]] states that [[justice]] is administered in the name of the people and that [[judge]]s are subject only to the [[law]].<ref name="ItaConst"/> So the [[judiciary]] is a branch that is completely autonomous and independent of [[Separation of powers|all other branches of power]], even though the [[Ministry of Justice (Italy)|Minister of Justice]] is responsible for the organization and functioning of those services involved with [[justice]] and has the power to originate disciplinary actions against [[judge]]s, which are then administered by the [[High Council of the Judiciary (Italy)|High Council of the Judiciary]], presided over by the [[President of Italy|President]].<ref name="ItaConst"/>

The [[judiciary of Italy]] is based on [[Roman law]], the [[Napoleonic code]] and later [[statute]]s. It is based on a mix of the [[adversarial system|adversarial]] and [[inquisitorial system|inquisitorial]] [[civil law (legal system)|civil law]] systems, although the [[adversarial system]] was adopted in the Appeal Courts in 1988. Appeals are treated almost as new trials, and three degrees of trial are present. The third is a legitimating trial.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Italy Country: Strategic Information and Developments|isbn=978-1438774664|date=3 March 2012}}</ref>

In November 2014, Italy accepted the compulsory jurisdiction of the [[International Court of Justice]].<ref>[http://www.icj-cij.org/en/declarations/it Declarations recognizing the jurisdiction of the Court as compulsory: Italy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616204207/http://www.icj-cij.org/en/declarations/it |date=16 June 2018 }}, International Court of Justice.</ref>