Prodi I Cabinet

First Prodi cabinet

53rd Cabinet of Italy
Date formed 17 May 1996
Date dissolved 21 October 1998
(887 days)
People and organisations
Head of government Romano Prodi
Head of state Oscar Luigi Scalfaro
Total number of ministers 20
Member party Democratic Party of the Left (PDS)
Italian People's Party (PPI)
Italian Renewal (RI)
Federation of the Greens (FdV)
Democratic Union (UD)
History
Election(s) 1996 election
Outgoing election 2001 election
Legislature term(s) 9 May 1996 - 30 May 2001 (XIII)
Incoming formation Prodi I Cabinet formation, 1996
Outgoing formation D'Alema I Cabinet formation, 1998
Predecessor Dini Cabinet
Successor D'Alema I Cabinet

The Prodi I Cabinet was the cabinet of the government of Italy from 17 May 1996 to 21 October 1998.

Formation

On 21 April 1996, the Olive Tree won 1996 general election in alliance with the Communist Refoundation Party (PRC), making Romano Prodi Prime Minister of Italy. It was the first time since 1946 that the Communists, now gathered in the Democratic Party of the Left, took part in the government of the country and one of their leaders, Walter Veltroni, who ran in ticket with Prodi in a long electoral campaign, was Deputy Prime Minister.

Besides the external support of PRC, the coalition received the support also of some minor parties: the Italian Republican Party (PRI, social-liberal), The Network (social-democratic), the South Tyrolean People's Party (regionalist and Christian democratic) and some other minor parties which later merged with PDS.

The average age of the ministers was 55.9 years and 14 ministers has parliamentary experience.[1] The number of female ministers was three.[1]

Fall

The government fell in 1998 when the Communist Refoundation Party withdrew its support. This led to the formation of a new government led by Massimo D'Alema as Prime Minister. There are those who claim that D'Alema deliberately engineered the collapse of the Prodi government to become Prime Minister himself. As the result of a vote of no confidence in Prodi's government, D'Alema's nomination was passed by a single vote. This was the first and so far, the only occasion in the history of the Italian republic on which a vote of no confidence had ever been called; the Republic's many previous governments had been brought down by a majority "no" vote on some crucially important piece of legislation (such as the budget).

Composition

Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Party
Prime Minister Romano Prodi17 May 199621 October 1998Independent
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lamberto Dini17 May 199621 October 1998RI
Minister of the Interior Giorgio Napolitano17 May 199621 October 1998Democratic Party of the Left
Minister of Treasury and Budget Carlo Azeglio Ciampi17 May 199621 October 1998Independent
Minister of Finance Vincenzo Visco17 May 199621 October 1998Democratic Party of the Left
Minister of Defense Beniamino Andreatta17 May 199621 October 1998PPI
Minister of Justice Giovanni Maria Flick17 May 199621 October 1998Independent
Minister of Industry and Commerce Pier Luigi Bersani17 May 199621 October 1998Democratic Party of the Left
Minister for Agriculture Michele Pinto17 May 199621 October 1998PPI
Minister of Education, University and Research Luigi Berlinguer17 May 199621 October 1998Democratic Party of the Left
Minister of Labour and Social Security Tiziano Treu17 May 199621 October 1998RI
Minister for Health Rosy Bindi17 May 199621 October 1998PPI
Minister of Public Works Antonio Di Pietro17 May 199620 November 1996Independent
 Paolo Costa20 November 199621 October 1998Independent
Minister of Transoprts Claudio Burlando17 May 199621 October 1998Democratic Party of the Left
Minister of Environment and Protection of Land and Sea Edo Ronchi17 May 199621 October 1998Greens
Minister of Cultural Heritage Walter Veltroni17 May 199621 October 1998Democratic Party of the Left
Minister of Communications Antonio Maccanico17 May 199621 October 1998UD
Minister of International Trade Augusto Fantozzi17 May 199621 October 1998RI

Ministers without portfolio

Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Party
Minister for Regional Affairs and Public Administration Franco Bassanini17 May 199621 October 1998Democratic Party of the Left
Minister of Equal Opportunities Anna Finocchiaro17 May 199621 October 1998Democratic Party of the Left
Minister of Social Solidarity Livia Turco17 May 199621 October 1998Democratic Party of the Left
Minister of Parliament Giorgio Bogi14 March 199721 October 1998Democratic Party of the Left

References

  1. 1 2 De Giorgi, Elisabetta; Francesco Marangoni (2009). "The First Year of Berlusconi’s Fourth Government: Formation, Characteristics and Activities" (PDF). Bulletin of Italian Politics 1 (1): 87–109.

Sources

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