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Italy | Prime Minister
Primo Ministro d'Italia
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Official Standard of the Prime Minister
Incumbent
Allesandro Donetti
since 12 March 2014
majority support
in the Chamber of Deputies
The Prime Minister of Italy (Primo Ministro d'Italia) is the head of government in the Italian Kingdom; officially titled as the President of the Council of Ministers—which holds effective executive power.
The Prime Minister presides over a cabinet; formally called the Council of Ministers that is formally appointed by the Monarch. In practice, the appointment of the Prime Minister is determined by their support in the Chamber of Deputies. Together with the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister decides on policy issues that they wish to bring forth in Parliament, discuss foreign policy, and chair the Royal Council of Defence; Italy's military strategy council.
The current Prime Minister of Italy is Allesandro Donetti. He leads a government consisting of the Italian Left and Movement for the Autonomies.
The office was first established in 1848 in Italy's predecessor state, the Kingdom of Sardinia—although it was not mentioned in the constitution, the Albertine Statute. From 1848 to 1861 ten Prime Ministers governed the Kingdom, most of them being right-wing politicians.
After the Unification of Italy and the establishment of the Kingdom, the procedure did not change. In fact the candidate for office was appointed by the Monarch, and presided over a very unstable political system. The first President of the Council was Camillo Benso di Cavour, who was appointed on 23 March 1861, but he died on the 6th of June the same year. From 1861 to 1911 Historical Right and Left Prime Ministers alternatively governed the country. It is around the early 20th Century did Parliament have more authority in electing a Prime Minister, shifting away from the Monarch's ability to freely appoint one.
Eventually, Italy ushered in an age of political pluralism, resulting in many coalition governments, mainly between the Christian Democrats (predecessor to Civic Choice), Socialists, and Liberals (defunct).
The Prime Minister is de facto the most important political figure in Italy. The Prime Minister chairs the weekly meetings of the Council of Ministers and has the power to set the agenda of these meetings. Alongside their executive powers, the Prime Minister is pivotal in the workings of Parliament. Almost always being a member of the Chamber of Deputies, the Prime Minister leads the Government to outline their policy agenda and other developments. They must also take part in Question Hour, where opposition parties can scrutinize the workings of the Government; and launch further inquiries in their ambitions. While most often these are directed to the Prime Minister; there is usually a Deputy who does so in the absence of the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister is also responsible for the royal house and has a weekly meeting with the Monarch on government policy. Informally the Prime Minister functions as the "face" of the Cabinet to the public. After the meetings of the cabinet on Friday, the Prime Minister hosts a press conference on the decisions of the cabinet and current affairs. The Prime Minister is also crucial in representing Italy on the international stage; representing the Kingdom in other countries and officially receiving other dignitaries in Italy.
The Prime Minister of Italy plays an important role in Parliament. Within the Chamber of Deputies (where the PM has their seat), the Prime Minister ensures that the government is transparent and keeps the Chamber up to date on governmental policy. While the Chamber of Deputies has no set term limit; by convention it is no more than 5 years. The Prime Minister has the right to ask the Monarch to dissolve the Chamber before or after five years. The Prime Minister also has an important role in the Senate. Senators are officially appointed by the Monarch to ensure that the Senate is as impartial as can be, when scrutinizing the work of the Chamber of Deputies. However, by convention, the Monarch always consults with the Prime Minister before officially appointing a Senator. It is within the Monarch's right to reject the advice of the Prime Minister and has been done several times, although most often, the Prime Minister agrees.
Coinciding with the five year term of the Chamber of Deputies, after the General Elections, the Chamber convenes to elect the Prime Minister. As Italy is a parliamentary democracy, the leader of the party or coalition with the greatest number of seats almost always becomes the Prime Minister. Once Parliament can decide on a person, the Monarch receives the Prime Minister-designate at the Quirinal Palace where they are officially appointed Prime Minister.
While very rare, the Monarch has the right to bypass Parliament and directly appoint someone as Prime Minister. However, a Prime Minister can never be a sitting Senator.
Residence, Privileges, and Styles
Palazzo Chigi, Rome
The Prime Minister and their immediate family are granted the privilege to reside in Palazzo Chigi; a noble residence in Rome. The Prime Minister is the highest office in the Kingdom and outranks all other positions except for the Monarch and the Royal Family. By convention, the Prime Minister is a member of the Italian Privy Council which consists of the Monarch, Heir Apparent, and other Nobles. While not always, their privilege of being a Privy Counsellor is retained for life, along with being appointed a Senator-for-life; a common occurrence with former Prime Ministers. The Prime Minister of Italy is officially styled as "Your Excellency" or "Mr/Madam Prime Minister" when spoken to after the first address of "Your Excellency". a
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Picture | Portfolio | Name | Political Party |
| Prime Minister | Allesandro Donetti | Italian Left |
| Minister of International Relations | Claudia Rumano | Italian Left |
| Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs | Adriano Despucci | Italian Left |
| Minister of National Defence | Virginia Carvaggio | Italian Left |
| Minister of the Interior | Alberto Gaspare | Italian Left |
| Minister of International Trade and Development | Leonora Giano | Italian Left |
| Minister of Health | Cristina Madia | Movement for the Autonomies |
| Minister of Justice | Marianna Debe | Italian Left |
| Minister of Labour and Social Affairs | Luciano Poletti | Movement for the Autonomies |
| Minister of Environmental Affairs, Conservation, and Sustainability | Roberto Gentolini | Italian Left |
| Minister of Transportation and National Infrastructure | Giuliano Lutto | Movement for the Autonomies |
| Minister of Education and Research Development | Stefania Vinizia | Italian Left |
| Minister of Agriculture and Food Safety | Teresa Demetrio | Movement for the Autonomies |
| Minister of Culture and Historical Preservation | Roberta Viini | Italian Left |
| Minister of Energy and Public Works | Matteo Pavarona | Italian Left |
| Minister of Regional Dialogue and Colonial Administration | Francesco Trapani | Movement for the Autonomies |
