Italian Parliament facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Italian ParliamentParlamento italiano |
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| 19th legislature | |
 
Emblems of the Senate of the Republic and the Chamber of Deputies
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| Leadership | |
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President of the Senate
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Ignazio La Russa (FdI)
Since 13 October 2022 |
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President of the Chamber of Deputies
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Lorenzo Fontana (Lega)
Since 14 October 2022 |
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Senate of the Republic political groups
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Government (116)
Opposition (89)
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Chamber of Deputies political groups
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Government (238)
Opposition (162)
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| Elections | |
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Senate of the Republic last election
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25 September 2022 |
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Chamber of Deputies last election
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25 September 2022 |
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| Chamber of Deputies: Palazzo Montecitorio (top) Palazzo Madama, Rome|Palazzo Madama (bottom) |
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| Constitution | |
| Italian Constitution | |
The Italian Parliament is the main law-making body of Italy. It represents all Italian citizens. It's like a big meeting place where elected people work together to create rules for the country.
Italy's Parliament is bicameral, meaning it has two parts, or "houses":
- The Chamber of Deputies has 400 members. These members are called deputati.
- The Senate of the Republic has 200 elected members, called senatori. It also has a few special members called senatori a vita (senators for life).
Both houses are independent. They have the same powers, which is different from many other countries. This means a law needs to be approved by both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate to become official.
Contents
What is the Italian Parliament?
The Italian Parliament is the main law-making body in Italy. It is made up of two parts: the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. Together, these two houses have 600 elected members. There are also a few senators who serve for life.
The Parliament's job is to represent the people of Italy and make important decisions for the country. It works based on the Italian Constitution.
How Many Members are There?
For a long time, the Chamber of Deputies had 630 members and the Senate had 315 elected members. But in 2020, people voted to change this.
Now, the number of members is smaller:
- The Chamber of Deputies has 400 members.
- The Senate of the Republic has 200 elected members.
This change started with the 19th legislature.
Senators for Life
Besides the 200 elected members, the Senate also includes a few "senators for life" (senatori a vita). These are special members who get to be senators for their whole lives.
They can be:
- Former Presidents of Italy.
- Italian citizens chosen by the President of Italy for their amazing work in science, art, or literature. There can be no more than five of these at one time.
Who Can Vote and Be a Member?
To vote in Italy, you must be 18 years old or older.
But to be a member of Parliament, you need to be older:
- To be a deputato (member of the Chamber of Deputies), you must be 25 or older.
- To be an elected senatore (member of the Senate), you must be 40 or older.
What Does the Parliament Do?
The Parliament has several important jobs:
Making Laws
The main job of Parliament is to make laws. For a new law to be created, both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate must agree on the exact same version of the bill.
Here's how it generally works:
- Someone proposes a new idea for a law (a "bill").
- The bill is discussed and changed in one house.
- If that house approves it, it goes to the other house.
- The second house can also discuss and change it.
- If the second house makes changes, the bill goes back to the first house. This can happen many times until both houses agree. This is called "shuttling" or "dribbling."
- Once both houses approve the exact same bill, it goes to the President of Italy.
- The President signs it, and it becomes a law after it's published and a short waiting period (usually 15 days).
Checking on the Government
The Parliament also keeps an eye on the Government (which is led by the Prime Minister). The Government needs the trust of both houses to stay in power.
- When a new Government starts, both houses must vote to show they trust it.
- If Parliament loses trust in the Government, it can vote to remove the Prime Minister and their team. This is called a "motion of no confidence."
- The President of Italy can also decide to end the Parliament's term and call for new elections if the Government can't get enough support.
Special Investigations
Sometimes, Parliament needs to investigate important public issues. It can set up special committees to look into these matters. These committees have strong powers, similar to a court, to find out the truth.
Joint Sessions
Sometimes, the two houses of Parliament meet together in a "joint session." This happens for specific important tasks listed in the Constitution. These meetings take place in the Chamber of Deputies building.
Some things done in joint sessions include:
- Electing the President of Italy.
- Watching the President of Italy take their oath of office.
- Voting on whether to accuse the President of Italy of serious crimes (though this has never happened).
- Electing some members of Italy's top judicial council.
- Electing some judges for the Constitutional Court.
Special Rules for Parliament
The Italian Parliament has special rules to make sure it can work independently without outside interference.
- Making its own rules: Each house can decide how it runs its own meetings and activities.
- Managing its own money: Parliament decides how much money it needs to do its job.
- Running its own offices: Each house manages its own staff and facilities.
- Protecting its buildings: Police or other law enforcement can only enter Parliament buildings with permission from the members. They cannot carry weapons inside.
Parliamentary Immunity
Members of Parliament have special protections called "parliamentary immunity." This helps them do their job freely without fear of being unfairly targeted.
- Freedom of speech: Members cannot be sued or arrested for opinions they express or votes they cast while doing their parliamentary duties. This protects their ability to speak openly.
- Protection from arrest: Members cannot be arrested or searched without permission from their house, unless they are caught committing a serious crime. This rule is meant to protect Parliament's independence.
These protections are not for the individual members themselves, but to make sure Parliament can work freely and make decisions without being pressured by others.
How Members are Elected
The way members of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies are elected is set by a law from 2017, known as the Rosatellum bis.
This system is a mix of two ways of voting:
- About one-third (37%) of the seats are given to candidates who win in their local area (like "first-past-the-post").
- About two-thirds (63%) of the seats are given based on the total percentage of votes a party gets across a larger area.
Voting for the Senate
The Senate has 200 elected members.
- 74 members are elected directly in small local areas.
- 126 members are elected based on how many votes parties get in each region (4 of these are for Italians living abroad).
To get seats based on party votes, a party usually needs at least 3% of the national vote.
Voting for the Chamber of Deputies
The Chamber of Deputies has 400 members.
- 147 members are elected directly in small local areas.
- 253 members are elected based on how many votes parties get across the whole country (8 of these are for Italians living abroad).
The voting process is similar to the Senate, but the party votes are counted nationally.
Italians Living Abroad
Italy is one of the few countries that sets aside seats in Parliament for its citizens who live in other countries.
- There are 8 seats in the Chamber of Deputies for Italians living abroad.
- There are 4 seats in the Senate for Italians living abroad.
This allows Italians all over the world to have a voice in their home country's government.
Images for kids
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The two main buildings where the Italian Parliament meets: Palazzo Montecitorio (top) for the Chamber of Deputies and Palazzo Madama (bottom) for the Senate.
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A map showing the number of senators assigned to each region before the 2020 changes.
See also
- Constituent Assembly of Italy
- Politics of Italy
- Prime Minister of Italy
- Roman Senate
In Spanish: Parlamento de la República Italiana para niños
