Language/Italian/Culture/Contemporary-Italian-Politics

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Italian Culture - Italian Politics and Society > Contemporary Italian Politics

Italian politics has been dynamic and turbulent since the birth of the Republic of Italy in 1946. Italy has gone through over sixty governments in its post-World War II history.

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Vatican City Timeline & Italian Society and Customs.

Italian Political System

Italy is a parliamentary democracy governed under the Constitution of the Italian Republic. The President of the Republic is the highest representative of the State and serves as a point of connection among the three branches of government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament which are the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The President appoints the Prime Minister as the head of government, who then forms a Cabinet of Ministers that must receive vote of confidence from both chambers of Parliament to become official. The Italian judiciary is independent of the other two branches of government and is headed by the Supreme Court of Cassation.

Political Parties

Italy has a multi-party system with numerous parties. The largest party is the Democratic Party (Partito Democratico), followed by Five Star Movement (Movimento 5 Stelle) and the Lega Nord (Northern League).

Recent Political Issues

Italy has faced many political issues recently including:

The economic recession and high public debt
Social and economic inequality
Immigration and refugees
Corruption

Italian Society

Italian society has a rich culture, history, and traditions that span centuries. As a country, Italy is known for its warm, passionate, and family-oriented people. Italy has deeply influenced Western society and is a leader in the fields of art, music, and fashion.

Family

The family is central to Italian life and is highly valued. Italians traditionally live with their families until they get married and often continue to be close with their parents even when they have their own families.

Religion

The majority of Italians are Catholic and many traditions, ceremonies, and customs in Italian society are religious in nature. These traditions include various religious holidays and celebrations such as Christmas and Easter.

Food and Drink

Food is very important in Italian culture, and Italians are known for their love of cooking and eating. Italian cuisine is based on fresh, simple ingredients and varies from region to region. Popular Italian dishes such as pizza and pasta have gained worldwide fame. Wine is also a significant part of Italian society and is a source of pride for many Italians.

Interesting Facts

Italy is the sixth-largest economy in the world and a founding member of the European Union.
The Italian language is the fourth most studied language in the world.
Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage sites of any country in the world, with 54.
The Sistine Chapel in Rome is one of the most famous cultural treasures in the world, attracting millions of visitors each year.

Vocabulary

Here is some useful vocabulary related to Italian politics and society:

Italian	Pronunciation	English
Repubblica Italiana	Reh-poo-blee-ka ee-tahly-ah-na	Italian Republic
Camera dei Deputati	Kah-meh-rah day Deh-poo-tah-tee	Chamber of Deputies
Senato della Repubblica	Seh-nah-toh day-lah Reh-poo-blee-ka	Senate of the Republic
Presidente della Repubblica	Preh-zee-dehn-teh day-lah Reh-poo-blee-ka	President of the Republic
Ministero degli Affari Esteri	Mee-nehs-troh day-lyee Ahf-fah-ree Eh-steh-ree	Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Governo Italiano	Go-veh-rnoh ee-tah-lyah-no	Italian Government
Partito Democratico	Pahr-tee-toh Day-moh-crah-tee-koh	Democratic Party
Movimento 5 Stelle	Moh-vee-mehn-toh Chink-wee Stell-leh	Five Star Movement
Lega Nord	Leh-gah Nohrd	Northern League

Sources

Table of Contents - Italian Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Introduction to Italian Language

Daily Life Expressions

Italian Culture and Tradition

Past and Future Tenses

Social and Work Life

Italian Literature and Cinema

Subjunctive and Imperative Moods

Science and Technology

Italian Politics and Society

Compound Tenses

Arts and Design

Italian Language and Dialects

Other Lessons

Videos

"Black Italians and Digital Culture in Contemporary Italy" - YouTube

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