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Politics & Government Guide in Italy

Political system, governance structure, stability indicators, and democratic institutions

Italy is a parliamentary republic led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose center-right coalition has governed since 2022. The system remains institutionally stable, but recent politics have been shaped by debate over constitutional reform, executive power, and the future balance between parliament and the presidency.

Corruption Index

Moderate

Democracy Index

Good

Government Type

Parliamentary Republic

Legal System

Civil law system based on the Constitution, with strong constitutional review and regional autonomy in selected areas

Head of State

President Sergio Mattarella(since 2015)

Head of Government

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni(Brothers of Italy)since 2022

Political Indicators

Corruption Index
54Rank #42

Scale: 0-100

Transparency International (2024)

Press Freedom
68.01Rank #46

Scale: 0-100

Reporters Without Borders (2024)

Democracy Index
7.58Rank #34

Scale: 0-10

Flawed Democracy

Economist Intelligence Unit (2024)

Legislature

Type:bicameral
Upper House:Senate of the Republic (200 seats)
Lower House:Chamber of Deputies (400 seats)

Major Political Parties

Brothers of Italy(FdI)

Right-wing to far-right

119 seats
Democratic Party(PD)

Center-left

68 seats
League(Lega)

Right-wing

66 seats
Five Star Movement(M5S)

Populist

52 seats
Forza Italia(FI)

Center-right

44 seats

Voting Rights

Italian citizens aged 18 and over can vote in national elections; voting age is 25 for the Senate. EU citizens resident in Italy may vote in local and European Parliament elections under EU rules.

Recent Developments

  • The Meloni government continued pushing a constitutional reform to introduce a directly elected prime minister, known as the premierato.
  • Italy maintained institutional continuity in 2024, with no national elections and only limited cabinet reshuffles.
  • The 2024 European Parliament election strengthened Fratelli d'Italia and Democratic Party as the two main political poles.
  • Debates intensified over executive power, parliamentary balance, and judicial safeguards during the 2024 budget and reform process.
Voting Age18
SuffrageUniversal suffrage
Constitution1948
Regions20

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