President of the Italian Republic
Encyclopedia
The President of the Italian Republic is the head of state
of Italy
and, as such, is intended to represent national unity and guarantee that Italian politics comply with the Constitution. The president's term of office lasts for seven years.
The current President of the Republic is Giorgio Napolitano
, elected
at the fourth ballot on 10 May 2006. He became the 11th President of the Italian Republic on 15 May 2006.
and the Senate
, integrated with 58 representatives appointed by the twenty Italian regions: three representatives of each region
(except for the Aosta Valley, which gets only one representative) in such a way as to guarantee representation to local autonomies and minorities.
According to the Italian Constitution
, the election must be held in the form of secret ballot, with the 315 Senators, the 630 Deputies and the 58 regional representatives allowed to cast their votes.
To achieve the maximum consensus for an institution intended to guarantee the upholding of the constitution, in the first three ballots a two-thirds vote is required. After that, a majority suffices.
The election is conducted by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, who has the authority to proceed to the public counting of the votes. The presidential mandate lasts seven years.
The vote is held in the Palazzo Montecitorio
, home of the Chamber of Deputies
, with the capacity of the building being expanded for the purpose.
The President takes office after having taken an oath before Parliament, and delivering to it a presidential address.
The President’s term lasts seven years; this prevents any president from being elected by the same Houses, which have a five-year mandate, and grants some freedom from excessive political ties to the appointing body.
In addition to the natural end, the mandate can be stopped by:
Former Presidents of the Republic are called Presidents Emeritus of the Republic and shall be appointed Senator for life
.
In the absence of the President of the Republic, including travel abroad, its functions have been performed by the President of the Senate
.
lays out the duties and powers of the President of the Republic, which in detail are:
The Constitution provides that every presidential act must be countersigned by a Minister or the President of the Council, as most of its acts are only formal, and political responsibility is upon the government. Pardons and commutations have been recognised as autonomous powers of the President, not subject to countersignature.
at the Quirinal Palace
, and also has at his disposal the presidential holdings of Castelporziano, near Rome, and Villa Rosebery
, in Naples
.
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and, as such, is intended to represent national unity and guarantee that Italian politics comply with the Constitution. The president's term of office lasts for seven years.
The current President of the Republic is Giorgio Napolitano
Giorgio Napolitano
Giorgio Napolitano is an Italian politician who has been the 11th President of Italy since 2006. A long-time member of the Italian Communist Party and later the Democrats of the Left, he served as President of the Chamber of Deputies from 1992 to 1994 and as Minister of the Interior from 1996 to...
, elected
Italian presidential election, 2006
The 2006 election of the President of the Italian Republic was held on May 2–10, 2006. As a second-level, indirect election, only Members of Parliament and regional deputies were entitled to vote...
at the fourth ballot on 10 May 2006. He became the 11th President of the Italian Republic on 15 May 2006.
Qualifications for office
- Italian citizenship
- At least 50 years old
- Not barred from holding political office
Election
The President of the Republic is elected by Parliament in joint session of the ChamberItalian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
and the Senate
Italian Senate
The Senate of the Republic is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but previously existed during the Kingdom of Italy as Senato del Regno , itself a continuation of the Senato Subalpino of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848...
, integrated with 58 representatives appointed by the twenty Italian regions: three representatives of each region
Regions of Italy
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the state, constituting its first NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, of which five are constitutionally given a broader amount of autonomy granted by special statutes....
(except for the Aosta Valley, which gets only one representative) in such a way as to guarantee representation to local autonomies and minorities.
According to the Italian Constitution
Constitution of Italy
The Constitution of the Italian Republic was enacted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 December 1947, with 453 votes in favour and 62 against. The text, which has since been amended 13 times, was promulgated in the extraordinary edition of Gazzetta Ufficiale No. 298 on 27 December 1947...
, the election must be held in the form of secret ballot, with the 315 Senators, the 630 Deputies and the 58 regional representatives allowed to cast their votes.
To achieve the maximum consensus for an institution intended to guarantee the upholding of the constitution, in the first three ballots a two-thirds vote is required. After that, a majority suffices.
The election is conducted by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, who has the authority to proceed to the public counting of the votes. The presidential mandate lasts seven years.
The vote is held in the Palazzo Montecitorio
Palazzo Montecitorio
The Palazzo Montecitorio is a palace in Rome and the seat of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.- History :The building was originally designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for the young Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi, nephew of Pope Gregory XV...
, home of the Chamber of Deputies
Italian Chamber of Deputies
The Italian Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Parliament of Italy. It has 630 seats, a plurality of which is controlled presently by liberal-conservative party People of Freedom. Twelve deputies represent Italian citizens outside of Italy. Deputies meet in the Palazzo Montecitorio. A...
, with the capacity of the building being expanded for the purpose.
The President takes office after having taken an oath before Parliament, and delivering to it a presidential address.
Presidential mandate
The President’s term lasts seven years; this prevents any president from being elected by the same Houses, which have a five-year mandate, and grants some freedom from excessive political ties to the appointing body.
In addition to the natural end, the mandate can be stopped by:
- Voluntary resignation;
- Death;
- Permanent inability, due to serious illness;
- Dismissal for crimes of high treason and attack on the Constitution.
Former Presidents of the Republic are called Presidents Emeritus of the Republic and shall be appointed Senator for life
Senator for life
A senator for life is a member of the senate or equivalent upper chamber of a legislature who has life tenure. , 7 Italian Senators out of 322, 4 out of the 47 Burundian Senators and all members of the British House of Lords have lifetime tenure...
.
In the absence of the President of the Republic, including travel abroad, its functions have been performed by the President of the Senate
Italian Senate
The Senate of the Republic is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but previously existed during the Kingdom of Italy as Senato del Regno , itself a continuation of the Senato Subalpino of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848...
.
Role
The Constitution of ItalyConstitution of Italy
The Constitution of the Italian Republic was enacted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 December 1947, with 453 votes in favour and 62 against. The text, which has since been amended 13 times, was promulgated in the extraordinary edition of Gazzetta Ufficiale No. 298 on 27 December 1947...
lays out the duties and powers of the President of the Republic, which in detail are:
- in relation to external representation:
- Accrediting and receiving diplomatic functionaries;
- Ratifying international treaties, upon authorization of Parliament (if needed according to article 80 of the Constitution);
- Making official visits abroad, accompanied by a member of the government;
- Declaring a state of warState of WarState of war may refer to:*a situation where two or more states are at war with each other, with or without a real armed conflict*State of War , a book by James Risen which makes numerous controversial allegations about Central Intelligence Agency activities*State of War , a real-time strategy...
, deliberated by Parliament;
- in relation to the exercise of parliamentary functions:
- Nominating up to five senators-for-life;
- Sending messages to the Chambers, calling them to extraordinary session and dissolving them;
- Calling elections and fixing the date for the first meeting of the new Chambers;
- in relation to legislative functions:
- Authorizing the presentation in Parliament of proposed decrees on the part of the government;
- Promulgating the laws approved in Parliament;
- Remanding to the Chambers, with an explanation, and asking for reconsideration (only once for each bill);
- in relation to popular sovereignty:
- Calling referendaReferendumA referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
;
- Calling referenda
- in relation to the executive function and of political guideline;
- Naming the Prime Minister of ItalyPrime minister of ItalyThe Prime Minister of Italy is the head of government of the Italian Republic...
after elections, and on proposal of the latter, the ministers; - Accepting the oath of the government, and its eventual resignation;
- Emanating laws by decree proposed by the government alone; without transposition in ordinary law by the Parliament, they remain valid only for 60 days;
- Naming certain high state functionaries;
- Presiding over the Consiglio Supremo di Difesa ("Supreme Defense Council"), and commanding the armed forces;
- Decreeing the dissolution of regional councils and the removals of presidents of regions;
- Naming the Prime Minister of Italy
- in relation to the exercise of jurisdiction:
- Presiding over the Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura ("Superior Judicial Council");
- Naming one third of the Constitutional Court;
- Granting pardons and commutations.
The Constitution provides that every presidential act must be countersigned by a Minister or the President of the Council, as most of its acts are only formal, and political responsibility is upon the government. Pardons and commutations have been recognised as autonomous powers of the President, not subject to countersignature.
Residence
The President resides in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
at the Quirinal Palace
Quirinal Palace
The Quirinal Palace is a historical building in Rome, Italy, the current official residence of the President of the Italian Republic. It is located on the Quirinal Hill, the tallest of the seven hills of Rome...
, and also has at his disposal the presidential holdings of Castelporziano, near Rome, and Villa Rosebery
Villa Rosebery
The Villa Rosebery is one of the three official residences of the President of the Italian Republic ....
, in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
.
See also
- List of Presidents of the Italian Republic
- Italian presidential election, 2006Italian presidential election, 2006The 2006 election of the President of the Italian Republic was held on May 2–10, 2006. As a second-level, indirect election, only Members of Parliament and regional deputies were entitled to vote...