Politics
Conventional Long Form Name: Italian Republic
Capital City: Rome
Type of Government: civil law system; judicial review of legislation under certain conditions in Constitutional Court
Date of Independence: 17 March 1861
National Holidays: Republic Day, 2 June
Chief of State: President Sergio MATTARELLA
Head of Government: Prime Minister Matteo RENZI
Description of Executive Branch/Powers: president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 31 January 2015 (next scheduled for 2020); prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by parliament
Description of Legislative Branch/Powers: bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (322 seats; 315 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 7 ex-officio members appointed by the president of the Republic to serve for life) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; 629 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 1 member from Valle d'Aosta elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Description of Judicial Branch/Powers: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Superior Council of the Judiciary, headed by the president of the republic, to serve NA terms; Constitutional Court judges - 5 appointed by the president, 5 elected by parliament, 5 elected by select higher courts; judges serve up to 9 years)
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25
Name of Italy's Ambassador to the US: Ambassador John R. PHILLIPS
Location of Italy's Embassy in the US: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Location of Italy's consulates in the US: Charlotte (NC), Cleveland (OH), Detroit (MI), Hattiesburg (MS), Honolulu (HI), New Orleans, Newark (NJ), Norfolk (VA), Pittsburgh (PA), Portland (OR), Seattle
Name of US Ambassador to Italy: Ambassador Claudio BISOGNIERO
Location of US consulates in Italy: Florence, Milan, Naples
Name of UN Representative: Sebastiano Cardi
National Symbols: white, five-pointed star (Stella d'Italia); national colors: red, white, green
International Disputes: Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa
Quantity of refugees inside country AND countries of origin of refugees: 13,357 (Eritrea); 12,213 (Somalia); 8,991 (Afghanistan); 6,293 (Nigeria); 5,764 (Pakistan); 5,552 (Mali) (2014)
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: NA
Quantity of Stateless Persons: 813 (2014)
Description of current human trafficking issues: NA
Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use: mportant gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling
Capital City: Rome
Type of Government: civil law system; judicial review of legislation under certain conditions in Constitutional Court
Date of Independence: 17 March 1861
National Holidays: Republic Day, 2 June
Chief of State: President Sergio MATTARELLA
Head of Government: Prime Minister Matteo RENZI
Description of Executive Branch/Powers: president indirectly elected by an electoral college consisting of both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 31 January 2015 (next scheduled for 2020); prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by parliament
Description of Legislative Branch/Powers: bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato della Repubblica (322 seats; 315 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 7 ex-officio members appointed by the president of the Republic to serve for life) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera dei Deputati (630 seats; 629 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 1 member from Valle d'Aosta elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Description of Judicial Branch/Powers: Supreme Court judges appointed by the Superior Council of the Judiciary, headed by the president of the republic, to serve NA terms; Constitutional Court judges - 5 appointed by the president, 5 elected by parliament, 5 elected by select higher courts; judges serve up to 9 years)
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal except in senatorial elections, where minimum age is 25
Name of Italy's Ambassador to the US: Ambassador John R. PHILLIPS
Location of Italy's Embassy in the US: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Location of Italy's consulates in the US: Charlotte (NC), Cleveland (OH), Detroit (MI), Hattiesburg (MS), Honolulu (HI), New Orleans, Newark (NJ), Norfolk (VA), Pittsburgh (PA), Portland (OR), Seattle
Name of US Ambassador to Italy: Ambassador Claudio BISOGNIERO
Location of US consulates in Italy: Florence, Milan, Naples
Name of UN Representative: Sebastiano Cardi
National Symbols: white, five-pointed star (Stella d'Italia); national colors: red, white, green
International Disputes: Italy's long coastline and developed economy entices tens of thousands of illegal immigrants from southeastern Europe and northern Africa
Quantity of refugees inside country AND countries of origin of refugees: 13,357 (Eritrea); 12,213 (Somalia); 8,991 (Afghanistan); 6,293 (Nigeria); 5,764 (Pakistan); 5,552 (Mali) (2014)
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: NA
Quantity of Stateless Persons: 813 (2014)
Description of current human trafficking issues: NA
Description of Illicit Drug trafficking/use: mportant gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money laundering by organized crime and from smuggling