Council of Ministers | |
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Italian: Consiglio dei Ministri | |
Overview | |
Established | 23 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy) 14 July 1946 (Italian Republic) |
State | Italy |
Leader | President of the Council |
Appointed by | President of the Republic |
Responsible to | Italian Parliament |
Headquarters | Chigi Palace |
Website | Official website |
Part of the Politics series |
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The Council of Ministers (Italian : Consiglio dei Ministri, CdM) is the principal executive organ of the Government of Italy. It comprises the President of the Council (the Prime Minister of Italy), all the ministers, and the Undersecretary to the Prime Minister. Deputy ministers (Italian : viceministri) and junior ministers (Italian : sottosegretari) are part of the government, but are not members of the Council of Ministers.
The Council of Ministers' origins date to the production of the Albertine Statute by the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1848. The Statute, which subsequently became the Constitution of the Kingdom of Italy, did not envision collegial meetings of individual ministers, but simply the existence of ministers as heads of their ministries, responsible for their operations. The Council of Ministers subsequently developed as a constitutional convention and the office of the President of the Council emerged from the need to co-ordinate the activities of the individual ministers. [1]
The Office of the Council of Ministers is regulated by the Constitution and consists of:
All powers of the Council of Ministers rest in the hands of the President of the Republic until the ministers assume their offices.
After the President of the Republic signs the appointment decrees, but before being able to exercise their functions, the Prime Minister and the Ministers must take an oath of office according to the formula laid out in Article 1.3 of Law n. 400/1988. The oath expresses the necessity of trust which is incumbent on all citizens, but especially on those holding public office (according to Article 54 of the Constitution).
According to Article 94 of the Constitution, the Government can have its confidence (or trust) revoked. The motion of no-confidence must be signed by at least one-tenth of the members of the House, and cannot be discussed for at least three days following the proposal. Once discussed, it must be voted through nominal appeal. While the recall of single ministers is not explicitly regulated, procedural practice allows for an individual motion of no-confidence: the first such case was Filippo Mancuso in 1995. [2]
The functions of the Council of Ministers are disciplined by the Constitution (article 92–96) [3] and by Law n. 400 of 23 August 1988. [4]
The Council of Ministers within a Parliamentary form of Government (e.g., Italy) is the principal holder of executive power – that is, the power to put a decision of the Italian political process into effect (i.e., execute it).
The members of the Council of Ministers, even if they leave their positions, are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts for activities committed in their official capacity only with the authorization of one of the chambers of the Parliament (art. 96 of the Constitution). [5]
As the main organ of the executive power, the primary role of the Council of Ministers is the actualization of a given national policy. The Constitution provides it with the following means for doing this:
The current Italian government is led by Giorgia Meloni. As of October 2022 [update] , the government has 25 Ministers, of whom 9 are without portfolio.
The Presidents of the Regions with Special Statute have the right to participate in sessions of the Council of Ministers in matters relevant to them are discussed (distinct from general issues common to all the regions). The Presidents of Sardinia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Aosta Valley, and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol have only a consultative vote, while the President of Sicily has a full vote and the rank of a minister. [6]
Presidents of the Regions with Special Statute | ||
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Member | Title | |
![]() | Renato Schifani | President of Sicily |
![]() | Christian Solinas | President of Sardinia |
![]() | Erik Lavévaz | President of the Aosta Valley |
![]() | Massimiliano Fedriga | President of Friuli-Venezia Giulia |
![]() | Arno Kompatscher | President of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol |
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