ITALY. Italian Republic
A state in southern Europe in the Mediterranean basin, occupying the Apennine Peninsula, the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and a number of small islands.
Area - 301,303 thousand km². Capital - Rome (2.5 million), largest cities: Milan (1.5 million), Naples (1.2 million), Turin (910 thousand), Palermo (680 thousand), Genoa (650 thousand), Florence (367 thousand), etc. Within Italy are 2 states - Vatican City and San Marino, surrounded on all sides by its territory. The administrative-territorial division consists of 20 regions: Piedmont, Aosta Valley, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, Sardinia. 5 regions (Sicily, Sardinia, Trentino-Alto Adige, Aosta Valley, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia) have a special autonomous status. Regional representative authorities (councils) can issue legislative acts within their competence, and executive bodies (juntas) have broad powers in addressing issues of housing construction, public transport, social security, education, healthcare, etc. Population - 57.8 million; 94% are Italians. The official language is Italian. The dominant religion is Catholicism. The currency is the euro (since January 1, 2002).
It has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR on February 7, 1924, interrupted by Italy on June 22, 1941, restored on October 25, 1944).
National holiday - June 2 - Republic Day (1946).
Italy is a parliamentary republic. The constitution, which came into force in 1948, is in effect. The head of state is the president (since May 13, 1999 - Carlo Azeglio Ciampi), elected at a joint meeting of both houses of parliament with the participation of representatives of the regions for a term of 7 years.
Legislative power belongs to the parliament, elected for 5 years by a mixed electoral system. It consists of 2 chambers: the Senate of the Republic (315 elected senators plus former presidents of the country and life senators appointed by the president from citizens who have "distinguished themselves in public activity, science, and art") and the Chamber of Deputies (630 deputies; 475 seats are distributed based on elections in single-member districts by a majoritarian system, 155 seats - by a proportional system). The chairman of the Senate is M. Pera ("Forward, Italy"), the chairman of the Chamber of Deputies is P. F. Casini (Christian Democratic Center).
The victory in the last parliamentary elections, which took place on May 13, 2001, was won by the center-right bloc "House of Freedoms" led by S. Berlusconi. In the Senate, "House of Freedoms" received 177 seats, while the center-left coalition "Olive Tree" received 130. The Senate also includes 3 senators from the Party of Communist Renewal, 2 from the European Democrats, 1 from the "Italy of Values" movement, and 2 independents.
In the Chamber of Deputies, "House of Freedoms" has 368 mandates, the center-left has 250, the Party of Communist Renewal received 11 seats, and 1 seat is held by an independent deputy.
The executive body is the government (Council of Ministers) headed by the chairman (since June 11, 2001, the chairman of the Council of Ministers has been S. Berlusconi).
Political parties: "Forward, Italy" - founded by S. Berlusconi as a socio-political movement in 1993. In March 1994, it won the parliamentary elections thanks to an alliance with the National Alliance and the Christian Democratic Center, as well as a pre-election agreement with the Northern League. In the parliamentary elections in May 2001, it received 29.4% of the votes.
It has 178 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 82 in the Senate. It mainly relies on the middle class, but the party also includes retirees and housewives. It advocates for the establishment of a liberal rule-of-law state based on individual freedom and the primacy of society over the state, for the development of a free market with minimal regulatory roles of the state, and for solid federalism. The party leader is the current chairman of the Council of Ministers S. Berlusconi. It is part of the European People's Party.
The National Alliance (NA) - created on January 27, 1995, on the basis of the self-dissolved neo-fascist party Italian Social Movement - National Right Forces. At the founding congress, NA declared a break with fascist and neo-fascist ideology; it proclaimed its commitment to Catholicism, the protection of the individual, and the family. NA acknowledges the merits of anti-fascism and opposes anti-Semitism. The party's main electorate is concentrated in the center and southern parts of Italy and includes a significant portion of voters who previously voted for the Christian Democratic Party. Following the 2001 elections, NA has 99 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 45 in the Senate. The national secretary is G. Fini, who holds the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Northern League - emerged in 1991 as a result of the merger of autonomist movements in Northern Italy, where it holds quite strong positions. The main programmatic goal: federalism and the protection of the interests of the high-performing North. Federal Secretary - U. Bossi.
The faction in the lower house of parliament consists of 30 deputies, in the upper house - 17 senators.
The Union of Center Democrats (UCD) - in the 2001 elections, it received 29 seats in the Senate and 40 in the Chamber of Deputies. The chairman of UCD is M. Follini.
Left Democrats (LD) - the leading party of the center-left bloc "Olive Tree". In 1998, it transformed from the Democratic Party of the Left (DPL) as a result of the joining of the "united communists," "workers," left republicans, and social democrats. Previously (in 1991), DPL was organized on the basis of the Italian Communist Party. It is a member of the Socialist International and the European Socialist Party. The party chairman is M. D'Alema, the national secretary is P. Fassino. Left Democrats have 136 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 65 seats in the Senate.
"Daisy" - a political association that was transformed into a political party in March 2002. It included self-dissolved parties Democrats, Italian People's Party, Italian Renewal. The party is led by F. Rutelli. In the 2001 elections, it won 76 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 42 in the Senate.
The Green Party - pays special attention to environmental protection issues, natural resources, and hunger problems in developing countries. It has 10 seats in the Senate and 7 in the Chamber of Deputies. The party chairman is A. Pecoraro Scanio.
The Party of Italian Communists - formed as a result of the split from the Party of Communist Renewal in 1998. The party is led by A. Kossuta. Its program states that it represents the interests of the working class, operates in the spirit of the constitution and anti-fascism, and aims to transform capitalist society into socialist. It has 10 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 2 in the Senate.
The Party of Communist Renewal - created on the basis of some members of the former Italian Communist Party who remained faithful to communist ideals. It has 11 representatives in the Chamber of Deputies and 4 in the Senate. The political secretary is F. Bertinotti.
Italian Social Democrats (ISD) - the most prominent of the socialist parties formed after the collapse of the Italian Socialist Party in 1994. Founded in May 1998 as a result of the merger of 3 parties: Italian Socialists, Italian Social Democratic Party, Socialist Party. The party chairman is Enrico Boselli.
Major trade unions: The General Italian Confederation of Labor (CGIL) - founded in 1906. It is a member of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). The chairman is G. Epifani. The Italian Confederation of Workers' Trade Unions (CISL) - created in 1948.
The Italian Labor Union (UIL) - established in 1950.
Some other organizations: Confindustria (General Confederation of Italian Industry) - the largest association of private entrepreneurs in Italy. It includes 107 territorial and 97 sectoral associations of industry, uniting 113 thousand firms with a total of more than 3 million employees. Confindustria deals with issues of economic relations, financing of industry, regulating relations with trade unions, including concluding labor agreements, and more. The governing bodies are the assembly, junta (executive body), and board of directors. The president is L. Cordero Di Montezemolo. The National League of Cooperatives - established in 1886, was the first Italian organization to establish business relations with Soviet Russia (1920). It unites more than 15 thousand cooperatives with more than 3.3 million members. It is part of the International Cooperative Alliance. Confagricoltura (General Confederation of Italian Agriculture) - unites agricultural entrepreneurs producing more than 60% of Italy's agricultural products. The general director is A. Boccini. Confcommercio (Italian Confederation of Trade and Services) - unites 500 thousand enterprises operating in wholesale and retail trade, including those engaged in export-import operations in European and global markets, 200 thousand in tourism, and 46 thousand enterprises providing professional services for business organization, training, information support, etc. (chairman - S. Billò).
In the 5th-3rd centuries BC, the territory of Italy was the main part of the Roman state. By the end of the Middle Ages, it remained fragmented. In the 16th century, a significant part of Italy was under Spanish rule, and after the war of 1701-14, under the Austrian Habsburgs.
Since the late 18th century, a national liberation movement and the elimination of territorial fragmentation grew in Italy. In the late 18th century, it was under French occupation. The Vienna Congress of 1814-15 restored feudal-absolutist monarchies in Italy. By the end of 1860, Italy was united around the Kingdom of Sardinia (from 1861 - the Italian Kingdom), to which Rome was annexed in 1870. In 1870, Italy was formed as a national state.
The bourgeois-democratic revolution and the establishment of capitalist relations in Italy were largely incomplete, which was expressed, in particular, in the economic backwardness of the southern regions. In 1922, a fascist regime was established in the country under Mussolini. In 1940, Italy entered World War II on the side of Nazi Germany. The mass Resistance movement that unfolded in the country during the war, along with the actions of the Anglo-American allies, led to the liberation of the country from fascist rule. Since 1946, Italy has been a republic. The constitution adopted in 1947 came into force in 1948.
Italy is a member of the UN (since 1955), the Council of Europe (since 1949), the OECD (since 1960), the EU (since 1957), and NATO (since 1949).
Italy is a highly developed industrial-agricultural country. By GDP volume (about 1.6 trillion euros in 2004), it ranks 6th among the G8 countries. The economically active population is 49.1% (the average in Europe is 62.1%).
The structure of the Italian economy remains practically unchanged: the share of industry in GDP is 30.3%, agriculture - 3.2%, services - 66.5%. About 63% of the self-employed population is engaged in the service sector, 32% in industry, and 5% in agriculture.
Tourism in Italy is one of the leading sectors of the economy and accounts for 12% of GDP. In 2003, the country registered 81.5 million tourists, including 35.8 million foreigners. Italy accounts for 5.6% of the global tourism market. By this indicator, it ranks 3rd in the EU after France and Spain.
The unemployment rate in 2004 was 8% of the working-age population (in 2003 - 8.7%).
The average life expectancy is 76.8 years for men and 82.9 years for women. The birth rate (per 1,000 population) is 9.2, and the mortality rate is 9.5. Among the total population, the share of children under 14 years old is 14.4%, persons aged 15 to 64 years - 67.4%, and persons over 65 years - 18.2%.
State corporations and private monopolies: The oil and gas company ENI - established in 1953 as a state corporation with the tasks of ensuring the country's supply of oil and natural gas. Subsequently, the scope of ENI's activities expanded significantly: exploration, extraction, import-export, oil and gas processing, production of chemical products, oil and gas engineering, and the production of textile products, design and construction of oil and gas facilities, and conducting financial operations. The company employs 71,497 people.
The state corporation "Finmeccanica" - the largest company in the field of high technologies. The main areas of activity: aerospace, helicopter and aircraft manufacturing; energy, transport, computer technologies, information systems, microelectronics, communication.
The corporation is one of the main actors in the implementation of large state projects and programs related to the strategic exploration of outer space and strengthening Italy's defense capabilities. Finmeccanica directly or indirectly controls more than 100 companies in Italy and abroad; in total, it employs about 41 thousand people.
FIAT - a large private corporation. In 1999, it celebrated its centenary. It operates in various fields: automotive, agricultural machinery, production of construction and road machinery, means and systems of production, aviation, and energy engineering, rolling stock manufacturing, publishing, insurance business, and vocational training.
In 2004, FIAT covered 28% of the car market in Italy and 7% in Europe. The administrative center of FIAT, as well as the main automobile plant, is located in Turin.
Fininvest - a private group with an annual turnover of 4.835 billion euros. The number of employees is 20 thousand people. The main areas of activity: television, publishing, advertising business, production and distribution of television and films, insurance.
Italy is poor in fuel resources and many types of industrial raw materials. Zinc, lead, sulfur, mercury, pyrites, bauxite, and marble are mined. The most developed sectors of industry are: machine engineering, automotive, food, chemical, textile, and metallurgy.
Significant development has been achieved in the production of computing technology, robots, and electronic equipment.
The agricultural sector mainly has a crop direction. More than 13.8% of arable land is occupied by grain crops, the main of which are wheat, corn, and rice (over 1 million tons per year, 1st place in Europe). Under pressure from the EU, the sown areas and production volumes are decreasing.
Italy produces up to 6 million tons of various fruits annually. The grape harvest was over 75 million quintals in 2003 (over 90% is processed into wine), citrus fruits - more than 3.3 million tons, tomatoes - over 5.5 million tons. Animal husbandry plays a secondary role, primarily due to EU restrictions.
Dairy and meat livestock farming predominates in the north, where about 1/3 of all meadows in Italy are concentrated.
Italy has a developed network of rail and road transport. More than 90% of passengers and over 80% of cargo are transported by road. In external cargo transportation, maritime transport predominates (80-90% of imported and 60-65% of exported cargo). The Italian merchant fleet consists of 1.5 thousand ships (10th place in the world by total tonnage).
Italy is the 2nd largest trading and economic partner of Russia in Europe (after Germany). In 2004, the trade volume amounted to 15.3 billion dollars. Italy accounts for 5.7% of the total volume of Russia's foreign trade. Russia's share in Italy's foreign trade volume is 4.6%. Russian exports include supplies of natural gas, oil, and oil products (78.1% of the total volume), ferrous and non-ferrous metals (10.3%), timber and products made from it (1.9%), chemical products (1.6%), leather raw materials (1.4%), machine and technical products (0.3%). In imports from Italy, consumer goods (48.7%), various types of machinery and equipment (30.7%), and products of the chemical industry (6%) occupy a major place, along with building materials (3.8%).
Inflation in 2003 was 2.5%. Accelerated price growth was noted in the banking (6.8%), hotel (5.5%), restaurant (4.6%), and insurance (4.1%) sectors.
Italy is home to the oldest universities in Europe - the University of Bologna and the University of Parma (founded in the 11th century). Among the largest universities are the University of Rome, the University of Naples, and others.
The largest newspapers: "Corriere della Sera" - founded in 1876, published in Milan. The average circulation is about 800 thousand copies. "Messaggero" - published in Rome since 1878, with a circulation of about 375 thousand copies. "Repubblica" - founded in 1976, headquartered in Rome, with a circulation of 760 thousand copies. "Sole-24 Ore" - the most authoritative financial and economic publication, controlled by the General Italian Confederation of Industrialists. Founded in 1965, published in Milan with a circulation of about 500 thousand copies. "Stampa" - controlled by the FIAT corporation. Founded in 1868, published in Turin with a circulation of 580 thousand copies.
In the Italian electronic media market, the leading place is occupied by 2 largest multimedia companies: RAI (state television and radio company) and the Mediaset group.
News agencies: ANSA - the largest news agency in Italy, among the top five largest global agencies.
Founded in 1945. Headquarters - in Rome. ADGI - the second most significant news agency in the country after ANSA. Founded in 1950. Headquarters - in Rome.