Pros and Cons of Democracy in Italy

Italy has been a democratic state since 1946 when it abolished its monarchy system by
popular referendum. The Italian Republic is highly centralized, where the Italian central
government appoints the officials of every province. Additionally, the constitution caters to 20
regions with limited authorities. For example, five regions such as Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino,
Alto Adige, Valle d'Aosta, and Friuli-Venezia Gulia, operate under autonomy principles. The
remaining 15 regions became established in 1970 and voted for regional policymakers. The
establishment of provincial government because of democratic rule in Italy facilitated the
decentralization of national governmental operations. For instance, the 1948 constitution created
a bicameral Parliament, a distinctive judiciary, and an executive branch made of cabinet
ministers and headed by the council president. Besides, the president of the Republic is elected
by parliament sittings and some regional delegates. He nominates the prime minister once the
president is sworn in, who appoints other ministers. It is fascinating how Italian politics and
democracy have been since 1946. This paper focuses on addressing the pros and cons of
democratic leadership in Italy.
Unlike the Mediterranean states like Greece, Portugal, and Spain, Italy became a more
stable democratic state after World War II. In the 1950s, the nation was influential in forming the
European Community, where it became one of the organization's founding states. Because of
democracy, Italy experienced rapid economic development and a significant modernization

process. For example, between 1950 and 1990, Italy's per capita income increased, making the
state ranked second after South Korea (Awan and Rana 2580). Besides, the 1948 constitution
was based on profound ethical values. The independent judiciary and a democratically elected
government are attributed to the rise of economic and political stability in Italy.
However, a significant setback of Italian democracy is that the three powers, namely the
judiciary, the legislative, and the Executive, are not balanced. The existence of a fourth power
causes the imbalance. A quasi-monopoly power limits the authority of the three powers. This is
seen especially in the broadcast industry, where the three dominant branches of democracy have
limited influence. This restrains the Italian government from exercising its full mandate. A quick
comparison of the world's major democracies reveals that the United States is the only nation
where people's representation is duly recognized in the parliament (Negro Alvarado n.p).
However, this is the exact truth of what happens in the Republic of Italy. The Italia Parliament is
only appreciated when it passes the first vote of confidence in government and not the last stages
of government formation.
Thus, Italy’s parliament cannot replace the ruling government like various democratic
states like the United States of America, Spain, and Germany. One of the significant weaknesses
of Italian democracy has been the inconsistencies and lack of Executive stability before the 1993
electoral reforms. Besides, the role of parliament is overlooked in terms of political
representation. In other words, these roles are divided between the Executive and political
parties, where the latter play leading roles in political representations (Rubinelli 1946). This
explains the reason for major political scandals and corruption in Italy.
In conclusion, despite Italy being a democratic republic, it faces some political
shortcomings characterized by a monarchial ruling system. The only benefits of democracy in

Italy are the abolition of fascist leadership and economic and political stability. Apart from these,
the Italian political parties have the final say in government instead of the parliament and the
Executive as they should be with democratic nations.