Politics Ledger · Europe
Italy
Liberal democracyParliamentary republicUnitary
LightDark
In charge
Giorgia Meloni
Prime Minister
Time in power
4.0 yrs
since 2022
Government seats
59%
majority
Next national vote
2027-09
General
Governance score
74/100
composite of five indices
Italy unified late, fell to Fascism, and rebuilt as a republic dominated for 45 years by the Christian Democrats. Since the 1990s corruption scandals it has cycled through technocrats, populists and, under Meloni, an unusually durable right-wing government.
Leadership
Who Governs Italy
Head of state
Sergio Mattarella
President
Since 3 February 2015 · 11.7 years
Age 85 (born 1941)ManRoute to power: elected by parliament
Head of government
Holds executive powerGiorgia Meloni
Prime Minister · Brothers of Italy
Since 22 October 2022 · 4.0 years
Age 49 (born 1977)WomanRoute to power: won a popular election
Ruling coalition
Centre-right: Brothers of Italy, League, Forza Italia and Noi Moderati
Main opposition
Democratic Party (Elly Schlein) and the Five Star Movement
Last national election
25 September 2022
General
Centre-right alliance won a clear majority; Brothers of Italy became the largest party with 26%.
Next national election
By September 2027
General
One of the longest-serving governments in republican history.
Parliament
Chamber of Deputies
Seat distribution (Approximate group sizes, 2026), ordered from economic left to right.
| Party | Ideology | Seats | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brothers of Italy (FdI) | National conservatism | 116 | governing |
| Democratic Party (PD) | Social democracy | 70 | opposition |
| League (Lega) | Right-wing populism, Regionalism | 62 | coalition |
| Forza Italia (FI) | Liberal conservatism | 50 | coalition |
| Five Star Movement (M5S) | Populism, Progressivism | 50 | opposition |
| Mixed group and others (OTH) | Various | 13 | opposition |
| Greens and Left Alliance (AVS) | Eco-socialism | 12 | opposition |
| Action (AZ) | Liberalism | 11 | opposition |
| Noi Moderati (NM) | Centrism | 9 | coalition |
| Italia Viva (IV) | Liberalism | 7 | opposition |
Ideology
Party Landscape
Each party placed on economic and social axes, sized by seats.
Institutions
The System
- Official name
- Italian Republic
- Capital
- Rome
- Population
- 59 million
- Statehood
- Unified 1861; republic by referendum 1946; Constitution 1948
- System
- Parliamentary republic
- Structure
- Unitary
- Current constitution
- 1948
- Legislature
- Parliament
- Lower / sole chamber
- Chamber of Deputies (400 seats)
- Upper chamber
- Senate (200 elected plus life senators)
- Electoral system
- Mixed: about 37% single-member districts, the rest proportional lists (Rosatellum).
- Term limits
- None for the prime minister; the president serves seven-year terms.
Sources
- Camera dei Deputati
- Ministero dell'Interno
- EIU Democracy Index 2024; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2025; RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025; Transparency International CPI 2024; IPU Parline, 2026; V-Dem v15 Liberal Democracy Index (approximate five-year readings)
Last verified 2026-10-29. Party placements are editorial estimates.
Data as of 2026-10-29.