The Legislature XII of Italy () lasted from 15 April 1994 until 8 May 1996. Its composition was the one resulting from the snap general election of 27 March 1994. The election was called by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Scalfaro, after he dissolved the houses of Parliament on 16 January 1994. This decision was connected to some major events that permanently changed the shape of Italian internal politics during the beginning of the '90s, such as ''

Tangentopoli (; ) was a nationwide judicial investigation into political corruption in Italy held in the early 1990s, resulting in the demise of the First Italian Republic and the disappearance of many political parties. Some politicians and industry leade ...

'' and the

Mafia trials "Mafia", as an informal or general term, is often used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original Mafia in Sicily, to the Italian-American Mafia, or to other organized crime groups from Italy. The central ...

. This legislature marks the beginning of the so-called "Second Republic" (), characterised by the progressive decline and dismantlement of the traditional parties, such as the

Christian Democracy Christian democracy is an ideology inspired by Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. Christian democracy has drawn mainly from Catholic social teaching and neo-scholasticism, as well ...

, the

Italian Socialist Party The Italian Socialist Party (, PSI) was a Social democracy, social democratic and Democratic socialism, democratic socialist political party in Italy, whose history stretched for longer than a century, making it one of the longest-living parti ...

, the

Italian Communist Party The Italian Communist Party (, PCI) was a communist and democratic socialist political party in Italy. It was established in Livorno as the Communist Party of Italy (, PCd'I) on 21 January 1921, when it seceded from the Italian Socialist Part ...

, and the

Italian Social Movement The Italian Social Movement (, MSI) was a neo-fascist political party in Italy. A far-right party, it presented itself until the 1990s as the defender of Italian fascism's legacy, and later moved towards national conservatism. In 1972, the Itali ...

. It also marks the official entrance of

Silvio Berlusconi Silvio Berlusconi ( ; ; 29 September 193612 June 2023) was an Italian Media proprietor, media tycoon and politician who served as the prime minister of Italy in three governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a mem ...

in Italian politics. This was the first legislature to apply the new majoritarian electoral system (also known as ''

Mattarellum The Italian electoral law of 1993 (better known as Mattarellum) was a reform of the electoral laws of Italy, passed on 4 August 1993. The nickname, conceived by Giovanni Sartori, derived from its author Sergio Mattarella. The law was also nickname ...

''), which replaced the

proportional system Proportionality, proportion or proportional may refer to: Mathematics * Proportionality (mathematics), the property of two variables being in a multiplicative relation to a constant * Ratio, of one quantity to another, especially of a part compare ...

in effect since 1946.

Government

Composition

Chamber of Deputies

Irene Pivetti Irene Pivetti (born 4 April 1963) is an Italian journalist, television presenter, and politician. From 1994 to 1996, she was president of the Chamber of Deputies. After leaving politics, she started a career in television, like her sister Veronic ...

(LN), elected on 16 April 1994 * Vice Presidents:

Luciano Violante Luciano Violante (born 25 September 1941) is an Italian judge and politician. Biography Violante was born in Dire Dawa. His father, a journalist and Communist, was forced to emigrate to Ethiopia by the fascist regime. His family was held by the ...

(PDS),

Adriana Poli Bortone Adriana Poli Bortone (born 25 August 1943) is an Italian politician who was a member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2008. She represented Southern Italy. She was mayor of Lecce from 1998 to 2007 and since 2024. Biography Born in Lecc ...

(AN, until 25 May 1994),

Lorenzo Acquarone Lorenzo Acquarone (25 February 1931 – 24 March 2020) was an Italian lawyer and politician. Biography Born in Ventimiglia on February 25, 1931, Acquarone graduated in law and became a lawyer. He would go on to become a Professor in 1961, and f ...

(PPI), Vittorio Dotti (FI, until 9 November 1994),

Ignazio La Russa Ignazio Benito Maria La Russa (born 18 July 1947) is an Italian politician who is serving as President of the Senate of the Republic (Italy), president of the Senate of the Republic since 2022 President of the Italian Senate election, 13 Octob ...

(AN, from 25 May 1994)

Senate of the Republic

Carlo Scognamiglio Pasini Carlo Scognamiglio Pasini (born 27 November 1944) is an Italian economist and politician. He is a university professor in applied economics, and was Chancellor of the LUISS University of Rome (1984–1992). He was President of the Italian Sen ...

(FI), elected on 16 April 1994 * Vice Presidents:

Carlo Rognoni Carlo is a given name. It is an Italian form of Charles. It can refer to: *Carlo (name) *Monte Carlo *Carlingford, New South Wales, a suburb in north-west Sydney, New South Wales, Australia *A satirical song written by Dafydd Iwan about Prince Char ...

(PDS),

Michele Pinto Michele Pinto (born 2 January 1931, Teggiano) is an Italian politician. Biography Pinto served as Minister of agriculture in the Prodi I Cabinet and was the promoter of the Pinto law on fair reparation for the damage, patrimonial or non-patrimoni ...

(PPI), Marcello Staglieno (LN), Romano Misservile (AN) Notes * Of the 315 elected senators, 11

Senators for life A senator for life is a member of the senate or equivalent upper chamber of a legislature who has life tenure. , five Italian senators out of 205, two out of the 41 Burundian senators, one Congolese senator out of 109, and all members of the B ...

were added at the beginning of the term distributed as follows: ** 3 from the ''Partito Popolare Italiano'':

Giulio Andreotti Giulio Andreotti ( ; ; 14 January 1919 – 6 May 2013) was an Italian politician and wikt:statesman, statesman who served as the 41st prime minister of Italy in seven governments (1972–1973, 1976–1979, and 1989–1992), and was leader of th ...

Carlo Bo Carlo Bo (25 January 1911 – 21 July 2001) was an Italian poet, literary critic, distinguished humanist, professor and senator for life from 1984. Biography Bo was born on January 25, 1911, in Sestri Levante, Italy. From 1929 to 1934, he a ...

Amintore Fanfani Amintore Fanfani (; 6 February 1908 – 20 November 1999) was an Italian politician and statesman, who served as 32nd prime minister of Italy for five separate terms. He was one of the best-known Italian politicians after the Second World War an ...

** 1 from the group ''Progressisti – PSI'':

Francesco De Martino Francesco de Martino (31 May 1907 – 18 November 2002) was an Italian jurist, politician, lifetime senator (1991–2002) and former Vice President of the Council of Ministers. He was considered by many to be the conscience of the Italian Soci ...

** 7 with no affiliation:

Gianni Agnelli Giovanni "Gianni" Agnelli (; 12 March 192124 January 2003), nicknamed ("The Lawyer"), was an Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat S.p.A., Fiat. As the head of Fiat, he controlled 4.4% of Italy's GDP, 3.1% of its industrial ...

Norberto Bobbio Norberto Bobbio (; 18 October 1909 – 9 January 2004) was an Italian philosopher of law and political sciences and a historian of political thought. He also wrote regularly for the Turin-based daily '' La Stampa''. Bobbio was a social lib ...

Francesco Cossiga Francesco Maurizio Cossiga (; , ; 1928 – 2010)
. was an Italian politician who served as President of ...

Giovanni Leone Giovanni Leone (; 3 November 1908 – 9 November 2001) was an Italian politician, jurist and university professor who was President of Italy from 1971 to 1978. A founding member of Christian Democracy (Italy), Christian Democracy (DC), Leone br ...

Giovanni Spadolini Giovanni Spadolini (; 21 June 1925 – 4 August 1994) was an Italian politician and statesman, who served as the 44th prime minister of Italy. He had been a leading figure in the Republican Party and the first head of a government to not be ...

(died in August 1994),

Paolo Emilio Taviani Paolo Emilio Taviani (6 November 1912 – 18 June 2001) was an Italian political leader, economist, and historian of the career of Christopher Columbus. He was a partisan leader in Liguria, a Gold Medal of the Italian resistance movement, then a ...

Leo Valiani Leo Valiani (born 9 February 1909 – 18 September 1999) was an Italian historian, politician, and journalist. Early life Valiani was born Leó Weiczen in Fiume (now Rijeka), on the Adriatic Sea (then in the Hungary part of Austria-Hungary, ...

Senators for Life

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Legislature Xii of Italy Legislatures of Italy 1994 establishments in Italy 1996 disestablishments in Italy