nch:
chief of state: President Oscar Luigi SCALFARO (since 28 May 1992)
was elected for a seven-year term by an electoral college consisting
of both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives
head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the
President of the Council of Ministers) Romano PRODI (since 18 May
1996) was appointed by the president
cabinet: Council of Ministers was nominated by the President of the
Council (i.e., Prime Minister) and approved by the President of the
Republic

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Parlamento)
Senate (Senato della Repubblica): elections last held 22 April 1996
(next to be held by NA); results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (326 total, 315 elected, 11 appointed senators-for-life)
Olive Tree 157, Freedom Alliance 116, Northern League 27, Refounded
Communists 10, regional lists 3, Social Movement-Tricolor Flames 1,
Panella Reformers 1
Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati): elections last held 22
April 1996 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party
NA; seats - (630 total) Olive Tree 284, Freedom Alliance 246,
Northern League 59, Refounded Communists 35, Southern Tyrol List 3,
Autonomous List 2, other 1

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale),
composed of 15 judges (one-third appointed by the president,
one-third elected by Parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary
and administrative supreme courts)

Political parties and leaders:
Olive Tree: Democratic Party of the Left (PDS), Massimo D'ALEMA;
Greens, Carlo RIPA DI MEANA; Italian Renewal, Lamberto DINI;
Southern Tyrols List (German speakers)
Freedom Alliance: Forza Italia (FI), Silvio BERLUSCONI; National
Alliance (AN), Gianfranco FINI; Christian Democratic Center (CCD),
Pier Ferdinando CASINI; Democratic Union Party, Antonio MACCANICO
other: Northern League (NL), Umberto BOSSI; Italian Social Movement,
Pino RAUTI; Communist Refoundation (RC), Fausto BERTINOTTI; Italian
Socialists, Enrico BOSELLI; Rete (The Network), Leoluca ORLANDO;
Christian Socialists, Luciano GUERZONI; Democratic Pact for Italy,
Mario SEGNI; Italian Popular Party (PPI), Gerardo BIANCO; Pannella's
Reformers, Marco PANNELLA; Christian Democratic Union (United
Christian Democrats - CDU), Rocco BUTTIGLIONE; Democratic Alliance,
Willer BORDON; Union for the New Republic, Raffaele COSTA; Unitary
Communists,