2022 Italian government formation explained

2022 Italian government formation
Date:20 October 2022 – 22 October 2022
Location:Italy
Type:Parliamentary government formation
Cause:2022 Italian general election
Participants:FdI, PD, Lega, M5S, FI, A–IV, Aut, CdI, Mixed Group
Outcome:Formation of the Meloni Cabinet

In the 2022 Italian general election, the centre-right coalition led by Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy (FdI) won an absolute majority of seats in the Italian Parliament.[1] On 20 October, a few days following the elections of the presidents of the two houses of Parliament, Ignazio La Russa of FdI on 13 October for the Senate of the Republic, and Lorenzo Fontana of the League on 14 October for the Chamber of Deputies,[2] [3] consultations on the formation of a new cabinet officially began.[4]

The Cabinet was announced on 21 October and was officially sworn in on the next day. It was one of the fastest government formations in the history of the Italian Republic.[5] The first Italian cabinet headed by a female Prime Minister,[6] it was variously described as a shift to the political right,[7] and as the first far-right-led Italian government since World War II.[8] [9]

Post-election developments

Election of parliamentary speakers

See main article: 2022 President of the Italian Senate election.

See main article: 2022 President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies election. On 13 October, FdI's Ignazio La Russa was elected President of the Senate of the Republic.[10] He is the first politician with a neo-fascist background and to come from a post-fascist party to hold the position, which is the second highest-ranking office of the Italian Republic.[11] [12] [13] He was proclaimed president by Liliana Segre, a senator for life and Holocaust survivor, who presided the first meeting of the Senate due to her being the oldest member present.[14] On 14 October, Lorenzo Fontana, who is widely seen as an ultraconservative for his long-time anti-abortion and anti-LGBT views,[15] was elected President of the Chamber of Deputies for the League.[16]

Tensions within the centre-right coalition

Immediately after the first meeting of the new legislature, the XIX legislature of Italy, tensions began to grow within the centre-right coalition. On 13 October, Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI) refused to support La Russa's candidacy for President of the Senate of the Republic.[17] La Russa nonetheless succeeded in being elected by obtaining 116 votes out of 206 in the first round,[18] thanks to support from opposition parties.[19] [20] [21]

Tensions further grew, in particular between Berlusconi and Meloni, whom Berlusconi described as "patronising, overbearing, arrogant ... [and] offensive" in a series of written notes in the Senate.[22] [23] Additionally, Berlusconi's views of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin, with whom he said he was rekindling their friendship and claimed to have received vodka as a gift and exchanged letters,[24] [25] came to light a few days later, when a recording of a private conversation between him and MPs from his party was leaked.[26] [27] Meloni declared that "Italy, with its head high, is part of Europe and the Atlantic Alliance", before adding: "Whoever doesn't agree with this cornerstone cannot be part of the government, at the cost of not having a government."[28] [29]

Meloni Cabinet

See main article: Meloni Cabinet. During talks with President Sergio Mattarella on 20 October, delegates from the Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, Action – Italia Viva, For the Autonomies, and various sub-groups within the Mixed Group stated they would not back a Meloni-led government during confidence votes. On the following day, delegates from FdI, the League, FI, and Civics of Italy, as well as Us Moderates and the Associative Movement Italians Abroad subgroup within the Mixed Group, which together held 237 seats out of 400 in the lower house and 116 seats out of 206 in the upper house, announced to Mattarella they had reached an agreement to form a coalition government with Meloni as Prime Minister.[30] In the afternoon, Mattarella summoned Meloni to the Quirinal Palace and gave her the task of forming a new cabinet, which was officially sworn in on 22 October.[31] [32]

On 31 October, the government nominated its deputy ministers and undersecretaries.[33] Galeazzo Bignami, one of the chosen deputy ministers,[34] [35] caused controversy and garnered international attention as a 2005 photo of him with a Nazi armband became public.[36] [37]

Investiture votes

On 25 October, Meloni gave her first official speech as Prime Minister in front of the Chamber of Deputies, before the confidence vote on her cabinet. During her speech, she stressed the weight of being the first woman to serve as head of the Italian government.[38] Meloni thanked several Italian women, notably including Tina Anselmi, Samantha Cristoforetti, Grazia Deledda, Oriana Fallaci, Nilde Iotti, Rita Levi-Montalcini, and Maria Montessori, who she said, "with the boards of their own examples, built the ladder that today allows me to climb and break the heavy glass ceiling placed over our heads."[39] [40] Later that same day, the Chamber of Deputies approved the Meloni Cabinet with 235 votes in favor, 154 votes against, and 5 abstentions.[41] [42] [43] On 26 October, the Senate of the Republic approved the Meloni Cabinet with 115 votes in favor, 79 against, and 5 abstentions. Senators for life Elena Cattaneo and Mario Monti abstained, while senators for life Liliana Segre, Carlo Rubbia, Renzo Piano, and Giorgio Napolitano were not present during the vote.[44] [45]

House of ParliamentVotePartiesVotes
Chamber of Deputies
 Yes
No
Abstention
Senate of the Republic
 Yes
No
Abstention SVP, ScN, senators for life

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Winfield. Nicole. 26 September 2022. How a party of neo-fascist roots won big in Italy. AP News. Associated Press. 30 September 2022.
  2. Web site: Senato, Ignazio La Russa eletto presidente. 20 October 2022. Sky TG24. 13 October 2022 . it.
  3. News: 14 October 2022. Il discorso di Lorenzo Fontana nuovo presidente della Camera che elogia il Papa e ringrazia Bossi: 'L'Italia non deve omologarsi'. 20 October 2022. La Repubblica. it.
  4. News: Quirinale, il calendario delle consultazioni per la formazione del nuovo governo. Centrodestra (unito) atteso al Colle venerdì. Il Fatto Quotidiano. it. 19 October 2022. 19 October 2022.
  5. News: 21 October 2022. Tempi di formazione dei governi, da Berlusconi a Conte: i record. 28 October 2022. Sky TG24. it.
  6. News: Harlan. Chico. Pitrelli. Stefano. 21 October 2022. Meloni sworn in as Italy's first female prime minister. The Washington Post. 22 October 2022. 0190-8286.
  7. News: Amante. Angelo. Weir. Keith. 21 October 2022. Meloni takes charge as PM as Italy swings to the right. Reuters. 21 October 2022.
  8. News: Associated Press. 21 October 2022. Presidential palace says Giorgia Meloni forms government, giving Italy first far-right-led coalition since World War II. 21 October 2022. ABC News.
  9. News: 21 October 2022. Far-right Meloni set to become Italy's first woman PM. 21 October 2022. France 24. Agence France-Presse.
  10. News: 13 October 2022. Governo, la Lega indica Fontana per la Camera. La Russa eletto in Senato senza l'appoggio di FI. 20 October 2022. Il Foglio. it.
  11. News: 13 October 2022. Far-right veteran elected Italian Senate speaker. 20 October 2022. France 24. Agence France-Press.
  12. News: 13 October 2022. Who is the far-right veteran elected Italian Senate speaker?. 20 October 2022. The Local Italy.
  13. News: Giuffrida. Angela. 13 October 2022. Brothers of Italy politician who collects fascist relics elected senate speaker. 20 October 2022. The Guardian.
  14. News: De Gregorio. Concita. 13 October 2022. La superstite Segre e il fan del Duce La Russa: al Senato la staffetta degli opposti. 20 October 2022. La Stampa. it.
  15. News: 14 October 2022. Outrage as Italy's lower house of parliament elects anti-LGBTQ speaker. 20 October 2022. The Local Italy.
  16. Web site: 14 October 2022. Italy parliament elects right-wing Fontana as new speaker. 20 October 2022. Wanted in Rome.
  17. News: 13 October 2022. Governo, la Lega indica Fontana per la Camera. La Russa eletto in Senato senza l'appoggio di FI. 20 October 2022. Il Foglio. it.
  18. Web site: Senato, Ignazio La Russa eletto presidente. 20 October 2022. Sky TG24. 13 October 2022 . it.
  19. News: 13 October 2022. Chi ha votato La Russa dall'opposizione?. 20 October 2022. Il Post. it.
  20. News: Buconi. Asia. 13 October 2022. Quei 17 franchi tiratori che hanno votato La Russa dall'opposizione. 20 October 2022. nextQuotidiano. it.
  21. News: 13 October 2022. Chi sono i franchi tiratori che hanno eletto La Russa: da Renzi a Conte, è caccia ai 'traditori'. 20 October 2022. Il Riformista. it.
  22. News: 14 October 2022. Berlusconi calls Meloni arrogant in written notes in Senate. 20 October 2022. ANSA.
  23. News: Kington. Tom. 17 October 2022. Silvio Berlusconi undercuts Italian coalition by labelling Meloni arrogant. The Times. 20 October 2022. 0140-0460.
  24. News: 19 October 2022. Berlusconi says Putin gifted him vodka, exchanged 'sweet' letters. 20 October 2022. Al Jazeera.
  25. News: Squires. Nick. 20 October 2022. Vodka sent by Putin to Berlusconi as a birthday present breached EU sanctions. The Telegraph. 20 October 2022. 0307-1235.
  26. News: 19 October 2022. Berlusconi in fresh row over Putin ties following leaked audio. 20 October 2022. The Local Italy.
  27. News: Horowitz. Jason. 20 October 2022. Berlusconi, Caught on Tape Gushing Over Putin, Heightens Anxiety About Italy. The New York Times. 20 October 2022. 0362-4331.
  28. Web site: Giordano. Elena. Hanke Vela. Jakob. 20 October 2022. Meloni slams Berlusconi over Putin remarks. 22 October 2022. Politico.
  29. News: 20 October 2022. New Italy government will be pro-NATO, pro-Europe, says Meloni. 22 October 2022. Reuters.
  30. Web site: Consultazioni per la formazione del nuovo governo. 20 October 2022. Quirinale. it. 21 October 2022.
  31. News: Il governo Meloni giura oggi al Quirinale. RAI. it. 21 October 2022. 22 October 2022. . Updated as of 22 October 2022..
  32. News: Nuovo governo, le news. Alle 10 il giuramento di Giorgia Meloni e dei ministri. Sky TG24. it. 21 October 2022. 21 October 2022. . Updated as of 22 October 2022..
  33. News: Piccolillo. Virginia. 31 October 2022. I sottosegretari: Sgarbi alla Cultura, alla Difesa Rauti. Ci sono Fazzolari e Borgonzoni I nomi. 3 November 2022. Corriere della Sera. it.
  34. News: Buj. Anna. 1 November 2022. Galeazzo Bignami: Un político que se disfrazó de nazi entra como viceministro en el Gobierno italiano. 3 November 2022. La Vanguardia. es.
  35. News: 1 November 2022. Giorgia Meloni appoints minister once pictured wearing Nazi armband. 3 November 2022. The Guardian.
  36. News: 31 October 2022. Italy's Meloni picks Nazi-armband lawmaker as junior minister. Reuters. 3 November 2022.
  37. Web site: Brezar. Aleksandar. 1 November 2022. Italy: Meloni's deputy minister blasted over 2005 Nazi uniform photo. 3 November 2022. Euronews.
  38. News: Jakhnagiev. Alexander. 25 October 2022. Meloni alla Camera, l'applauso al suo arrivo e l'abbraccio di Salvini. 25 October 2022. Corriere della Sera. it.
  39. News: 25 October 2022. Governo, da Iotti a Cristoforetti: le donne che 'hanno osato' citate da Meloni. 25 October 2022. Adnkronos.
  40. News: De Rosa. Gianluca. Meloni citazionista: da Steve Jobs a Giovanni Paolo II, tutti i riferimenti del suo discorso. 25 October 2022. Il Foglio. it.
  41. News: 21 October 2022. Governo Meloni, ecco il timing: l'incarico, il giuramento, la fiducia e la Legge di Bilancio. 22 October 2022. Il Messaggero. it.
  42. News: Bongarrà . Francesco . 21 October 2022. Dall'incarico alla manovra, il timing. 22 October 2022. ANSA. it.
  43. Web site: Cipolla. Alessandro. Imparato. Rosaria. 25 October 2022. Meloni alla Camera, diretta video voto di fiducia al governo: cosa ha detto nella replica la presidente del Consiglio. Money. it. 26 October 2022.
  44. News: 26 October 2022. Il Senato vota la fiducia al governo Meloni: 115 sì, 79 no e 5 astenuti. 26 October 2022. ANSA. it.
  45. Web site: Governo Meloni, le ultime notizie. Fiducia in Senato per l'esecutivo: 115 sì e 79 no. 26 October 2022. Sky TG24. it.

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