Prime minister of Italy

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Template:Politics of Italy In Italy, the prime minister (Italian presidente del consiglio dei ministri, the president of the council of ministers) is the head of government, and is the fourth-most important state office.

The prime ministership is a constitutional office, established by the Italian constitution by articles 92, 93, 94, 95, and 96.

1 Appointment
2 Functions
3 Evolution
4 See also
5 References

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Appointment

The prime minister is appointed by the President of the Italian Republic.

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Functions

Besides those functions granted him as a member of the government, the prime minister indicates to the President of the Republic the list of government ministers, and countersigns all acts having the force of law that have been signed by the President of the Republic.

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Evolution

Article 95 of the Italian constitution specifies that "the prime minister directs and coordinates the activity of the ministers"; this power has been used to a quite variable extent in the history of the Italian state, as it is strongly influenced by the strength of the individual ministers and thus by the parties they represent.

Often the prime minister's activity consists more in mediating between the various parties in the majority coalition, rather than directing the activity of the Council of Ministers. His power of address(?), moreover, is limited, in that, at least formally, he does not have the authority to fire those ministers with whom he finds himself in disagreement. The practice of rimpasto, or the rarer individual vote of no confidence on the part of Parliament, may be considered surrogates for this formally absent power.

The rise of a new mode of politics, which according to some is ever more linked to the mediating skills of politicians, and the largely majoritarian electoral laws, have, in practice, given the prime minister a greater power to make decisions and to direct the internal dynamics of the government, which represents a notable novelty for the Italian political system.

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