This article recently underwent a major revision or rewrite, and may need further review. You can help Wikipedia by assisting in the revision. Senate of the Republic Senato della Repubblica Type Type Upper house Leadership President of the Senate Renato Schifani, PdL since April 29, 2008 Structure Members 315 6 lifetime senators Political groups PdL 135 PD 112 LN 26 UDC, SVP, and Autonomy 14 IdV 12 FLI 10 Mixed group 6 Elections Last election April 13–14, 2008 Meeting place Palazzo Madama, Rome Website http://www.senato.it Italian Republic This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Italy Constitution Constitution Gazzetta Ufficiale Executive President (List) Giorgio Napolitano Prime Minister (List) Silvio Berlusconi Council of Ministers Legislature Parliament Legislatures Senate of the Republic Chamber of Deputies Judiciary Constitutional Court Court of Cassation Court of Assizes Italian Council of State Italian Criminal Procedure Judiciary of Italy Divisions Regions Politics of Aosta Valley Politics of Piedmont Politics of Lombardy Politics of Veneto Politics of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol Politics of Friuli-Venezia Giulia Politics of Emilia-Romagna Politics of Liguria Politics of Tuscany Politics of Umbria Politics of Marche Politics of Molise Politics of Lazio Politics of Abruzzo Politics of Campania Politics of Apulia Politics of Calabria Politics of Sicily Politics of Sardinia Provinces Municipalities Elections General elections 1994 1996 2001 2006 2008 Referendums Political parties The People of Freedom Democratic Party Foreign policy Foreign relations European Union politics

Other countries · Atlas Politics portal view · talk · The Senate of the Republic (Italian: Senato della Repubblica) is the upper house of the Italian Parliament. It was established in its current form on 8 May 1948, but it existed during the monarchy as Senato del Regno (Senate of the Kingdom), continuing from the Subalpine Parliament of Sardinia-Piedmont established on 8 May 1848. Contents 1 Palazzo Madama 2 Composition 3 Membership 3.1 Latest elections results 3.2 Parliamentary groups 4 Presidents 4.1 Presidency Office 4.1.1 President 4.1.2 Vice Presidents 4.1.3 Quaestors 4.1.4 Secretaries 5 Past Presidents of the Italian Senate (recent years) 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Palazzo Madama Since 1871, the seat of the Senate has been Palazzo Madama in Rome. A plaque on the wall behind the speaker's chair commemorates the address delivered to Parliament when convened in the new seat of government by the King of Italy: L'ITALIA È RESTITVITA A SE STESSA E A ROMA • QVI DOVE E NOI RICONOSCIAMO LA PATRIA DEI NOSTRI PENSIERI OGNI COSA CI PARLA DI GRANDEZZA MA NEL TEMPO STESSO OGNI COSA CI RICORDA I NOSTRI DOVERI • VITTORIO EMANVELE II 27 NOVEMBRE MDCCCLXXI "Italy is restored to herself and to Rome... Here, where we recognise the fatherland of our thoughts, all things speak to us of greatness; but at the same time all things remind us of our duties..." - Victor Emmanuel II, 27 November 1871

Above this has been placed a plaque bearing the inscription: IL 2 GIUGNO 1946 PER SUFFRAGIO DI POPOLO A PRESIDIO DI PUBBLICHE LIBERTÀ E A CERTEZZA DI PROGRESSO CIVILE FU PROCLAMATE LA REPUBBLICA ITALIANA On 2 June 1946/ by popular suffrage/ in defence of public liberty/ and a certainty of civic progress/ was proclaimed/ the Italian Republic To the viewers left stand the flags of the Italian Republic (with a ribbon embroidered with the words SENATO DELLA REPUBBLICA) and the European Union. Composition Palazzo Madama, Rome The Senate consists of 315 elected members (senatori), elected for a maximum of 5 years, of whom six represent Italians residing overseas. Senators must be 40 years of age or older, and are elected by citizens 25 years of age or over. According to special constitutional provisions, 'life senators' may exist, either former presidents, as ex officio life senators, or those appointed by the president "for outstanding merits in the social, scientific, artistic or literary field". As of 2010[update], there are six life senators: Oscar Luigi Scalfaro (former President), Giulio Andreotti (former Prime Minister), Rita Levi Montalcini (Nobel Prize winner for Medicine 1986), Emilio Colombo (former Prime Minister), Sergio Pininfarina (Designer), Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (former President). Giorgio Napolitano (former President of the Chamber of Deputies and one of the leaders of the Communist Party), currently President of the Republic, is no longer a member of the Senate, and will be able to resume his duties as a senator in 2013 at the earliest. The Italian Senate is unusual among Upper Houses in that it has almost the same power as its Lower counterpart: other than the budget, any law can be initiated in either house, and must be approved in the same form by both houses; additionally the Government must have the consent of both to remain in office (this situation is called "perfect bicameralism").

The Senate may be dissolved before the expiration of its normal term by the President of the Republic, when no government can obtain a majority. Membership The current membership of the Italian Senate, following the latest politcal elections of 13 April and 14 April 2008: Latest elections results e • d  Summary of the April 13–14, 2008 Senate election Parties and alliances Votes % Change Seats Change    S. Berlusconi coalition The People of Freedom Lega Nord Movement for Autonomy 15,678,114 12,678,790 2,644,248 355,076 46.94 37.96 7.92 1.06 +4.331 –0.24 +3.52 +1.06 174 146 26 2 +39 +24 +13 +2    W. Veltroni coalition Democratic Party Italy of Values PD-SVP alliance 12,620,660 11,052,577 1,414,118 153,965 37.79 33.10 4.23 0.46 +6.302 +5.01 +1.40 –0.11 134 118 14 2 +21 +12 +10 -1    Union of the Centre 1,898,842 5.69 –0.95 3 –18    The Left – The Rainbow 1,093,135 3.27 –8.063 0 –38    The Right–Tricolour Flame 703,685 2.11 +1.48 0 —    Socialist Party 285,802 0.86 –1.954 0 —    South Tyrolean People's Party 98,947 0.30 –0.04 2 ±0    Union Valdotaine 29,186 0.09 +0.02 1 +1    Movimento Associativo Italiani all'Estero —5 — — 1 +1    Others 969,825 2.95 –1.13 — –6 Total 33,396,196 100% 315 Parliamentary groups

Parliamentary groups in the Italian Senate, at the inauguration and after the latest changes67. e • d  Parliamentary groups after 2008 Italian general election and current (december 2010) Parties Inauguration Current    The People of Freedom 146 seats 131 seats    Democratic Party 119 seats 107 seats    Northern League 26 seats 26 seats    Italy of Values 14 seats 12 seats    Union of the Centre 11 seats with SVP 15 seats with SVP and UV    National Cohesion 0 seats 10 seats    Mixed group (Independents and Senators for life) 6 seats 20 seats Parties 322 seats 321 seats Presidents Under the current Constitution, the Senate must hold its first sitting no later than 20 days after a general election. That session, presided by the oldest senator, proceeds to elect the President of the Senate for the following parliamentary period. On the first two attempts at voting, an absolute majority of all senators is needed; if a third round is needed, a candidate can be elected by an absolute majority of the senators present and voting. If this third round fails to produce a winner, a final ballot is held between the two senators with the highest votes in the previous ballot. In the case of a tie, the elder senator is deemed the winner.

In addition to overseeing the business of the chamber, chairing and regulating debates, deciding whether motions and bills are admissible, representing the Senate, etc., the President of the Senate stands in for the President of the Republic when the president is unable to perform the duties of the office. The current President of the Senate (since 29 April 2008) is Renato Schifani. Presidency Office President Renato Schifani Vice Presidents Emma Bonino Vannino Chiti Rosi Mauro Domenico Nania Quaestors Benedetto Adragna Romano Comincioli Paolo Franco Secretaries Silvana Amati Emanuela Baio Cinzia Bonfrisco Alessio Butti Lucio Malan Colomba Mongiello Piergiorgio Stiffoni Marco Stradiotto Past Presidents of the Italian Senate (recent years) See List of Presidents of the Italian Senate for the full list. President From To Notes 9th Legislature Francesco Cossiga 12 July 1983 24 June 1985 elected President of the Italian Republic Amintore Fanfani 9 July 1985 17 April 1987 resigned once elected Prime Minister Giovanni Francesco Malagodi 22 April 1987 1 July 1987 10th Legislature Giovanni Spadolini 2 July 1987 22 April 1992 11th Legislature Giovanni Spadolini 24 April 1992 14 April 1994 12th Legislature Carlo Scognamiglio Pasini 16 April 1994 8 May 1996 13th Legislature Nicola Mancino 9 May 1996 29 May 2001 14th Legislature Marcello Pera 30 May 2001 27 April 2006 15th Legislature Franco Marini 29 April 2006 28 April 2008 16th Legislature Renato Schifani 29 April 2008 See also Parliament of Italy Italian Chamber of Deputies Senate Roman Senate Senato Italiano (TV channel) References ^ People of Freedom was founded in late 2007, so the sum of its precursor parties – including the previously Union-affiliated Pensioners' Party – is considered for "change" statistics. ^ The Democratic Party was founded in 2007, so the sum of its precursor parties and Italy of Values is considered for "change" statistics. ^ Previous statistics sum data from coalition partners, as stated in its article. ^ Previous statistics sum data from Rose in the Fist (primarily made up of future Socialist Party members) and The Socialists. ^ Overseas ballots are exluded from this list for technical reasons. ^ Composition of the Parliamentary Groups ^ Where the Senators sit External links (Italian) Official website (English) Official website v · d · eParliament of Europe Sovereign states

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