The Italian Constitution
The Italian Constitution
After the liberation of Rome and the end of World War two, the 2nd June 1946 the Italians voted to chose what institutional form the state would have (Monarchy or Republic) and to elect a Constituent Assembly.
The turnout at the polling booths was very high: 25 million people (89.1 % of the voters). 54.3 % chose the Republic and only 45.7 % the Monarchy; 573 deputies were appointed. The Christian Democracy had the relative majority (35.2 %), followed by the Socialist Party (20.7 %) and the Communist Party (19 %).
The outcomes were proclaimed the 10th June, and the President of the Council De Gasperi was appointed as the provisional Head of State until the 28th June, when the Constituent Assembly elected Enrico De Nicola as the President of the Nation.
The Constituent Assembly met for the first time the 25th June; the 15th July it instituted the “Commission of the 75”, in charge of designing the Constitution project. The Commission worked until the 1st February 1947, operating in three subcommissions, one for each section envisaged by the bill of rights: “the citizens’ rights and duties”, “the constitutional organisation of the State”, and “the economic and social relations”.
The discussion of the project in the Parliament began the 4th March and continued for the entire year, with the introduction of some important changes. The Assembly held a secret ballot vote the 22nd December and the new Constitution was approved by 453 votes for it and 62 against it. De Nicola promulgated it the 27th December and it finally entered into force the 1st January 1948.
