By Federica Brusa and Diletta Muccilli

The First Republic was founded by the antifascist parties after the Second World War with the 1946 Referendum, when the people chose the republic in place of the monarchy. This political system was based on the electoral law (46) which elected the Constituent Assembly. It had to write the Italian Constitution (which has been in effect since 1 January 1948).

This system was called multiparty because it was composed of several parties. The main was called Christian Democracy, supported by the Liberal party, the Republican party, the Social Democratic party and, since 1963, the Social party. There were also two oppositions: the Communist Party, vey big, and the Italian Social Movement, a neo-fascist party. However in Italy the alternation of the government between majority and opposition has never occurred: Christian Democracy was always in the centre of the political system and the government. So people talk about the First Republic as a period of blocked democracy.

In the 90's there was a nationwide investigation, called Mani Pulite. It revealed a system of corruption, which was instituted in Italy in the 80's and was based on the payment of bribes, called Tangentopoli. A lot of people in fact got involved in politics just to realize illegal business and enrich. The investigations led up to the collapse of the Christian Democracy and its allies and the Italian Socialist Party, in addition to a radical change of the other parties. In Italy the proportional electoral system was in effect. The new electoral law Mattarellum introduced instead a mixed electoral system: the 75% of the seats are assigned with the first-past-the-post system, the 25% with the proportional system. Berlusconi got involved in politics and founded the Forza Italia Party.

So, between 1992 and 1994, people started to talk about the Second Republic in Italy.

With the '94 elections, in Italy there was still a multi-party system. But this time the parties were organized in two different coalitions: a rightcenter coalition, The House of Freedoms, and a left-center coalition, The Olive Tree. There was also another party, Communist Refoundation Party, which didn't belong to any of the other two coalitions.

So the system of parties in Italy was changed in a bipolar system during the Second Republic.

Right

Left

Members of the parliament who sit on the right of the President of the Assembly. Conservatives, liberals, monarchists and fascist or neofascist. Nationalistic, individualist and conservative leanings freedom. Minimum State: the State supports the freedom of the individual and doesnt intervene. So there are just a few taxes for offices and services.

Members of the parliament who sit on the left of the President of the Assembly. Socialists, social democrats, progressives and communists. Internationalist, progressive and egalitarian leanings equality. Welfare State: the State tries to protect the group and supports the equality in it. There are more controls and also more taxes for offices and services.

In Monti's opinion, Italy now has to work on the problems about the progress, the occupation and the social question. To do that it's not necessary a distinction between right people and left people, because its an old distinction which refers to communism and fascism. Instead it's necessary a distinction between who wants to change things and who wants to defend the current rules. Monti wants to make some reforms in an European prospective and unite who wants to do that in a coalition without distinctions. In Europe, in fact, the only distinction is between who is against and who is in favour of the proposal, not between left and right. Monti wants this philosophy in Italy.

The reforms are direct to obtain more freedom in goods and services, support the market, sustain the education of youth, protect the environment, value the historic-artistic heritage and labour against the racquet and the corruption. Unluckily, some of Montis reforms damaged Italy: for example, the introduction of the IMU, the change of the law about pension and the aiding and abetting of the banks.

Monti founded also a party, called Civil Choice, that belongs to With Monti for Italy coalition. This movement is populist and reformist and theres a new idea of politics. We think that the idea of divide the people between who is in favour and who is against instead of who belongs to the left and who belongs to the right is a good initiative.

The leader of this movement is Silvio Berlusconi. This movement is a centre-right movement. In this coalition there are the following parties: The People of Freedom, Brothers of Italy, Northern League and Great South. The ideology is liberal, Christian-democratic, conservative and rightpopulist. This movement proposes: The election by the people of the President of the Republic; The number of the parliamentarians halved; Abolition of the IMU; The achievement of the TAV, upgrading the entire Italian rail network; A project called Green Economy, to incentivize renewable energies; The development of security force; Some reforms to reduce the government spending .

We think that all the ideas are good, but some of them contradict each other. For example: its impossible to reduce the government spending if they want to realize many projects, like the construction of the TAV or the increase of the security force. We also think that halve the numbers of the parliaments is unattainable.

The leader of this movement is Pier Luigi Bersani. The movement Italy. Common Good is a centre-left movement. In this coalition there are the following parties: Democratic Party, Left Ecology Freedom and, since the Civil Revolution, Italy of Values, Communist Refoundation Party and Federation of the Greens. The ideology is social democratic, Christian-socialist, progressive and economist. This movement proposes: A bigger integration in the EU; A fight against the tax evasion and the public debt; A simplification of the administrative and institutional system; A fiscal policy in favour of women and South, avoiding wastefulness; A penal and civil justice which is rapid, impartial and effective; The insertion of the minimum salary.

We think that all the ideas are good reforms which defend the group and try to help the marginalized people. Unfortunately some of them are very difficult to realize, like the simplification of the political system.

The leader of this movement is Beppe Grillo. The Five Stars MoVement doesn't belong to any coalitions because it's a protest movement. The ideology is democratic, Euro-sceptic and populist. This party proposes: The application of the 10/91 law about renewable energy; Some reforms for the reduction of consumptions; Some reforms for the instruction, and one for the deprivatization of the television; More instruction; An economic reform to reduce the public debt; The increase of public transports, an anti-TAV and anti-Strait of Messina Bridge campaign.

We think that the ideas about energy, economy and instruction are very good and useful for Italy. In our opinion the deprivatization of the television can create problems, because television wouldn't work as well as today and would cost more money at the State. Also the anti-TAV and anti-Strait of Messina Bridge ideas are not good, because the connection in Italy should be increased and these constructions would also offer jobs.

Everybody unites

A list wins or some parties find an agreement Who has the power can govern well without limitations. But a part of the Government will anyway be excluded from decisions and reforms: not all the ideas of the people who live in the State will be respected.

No agreement

If all the politicians can find an agreement, they can create a stable government, that works good. We will have a better State and the reforms will be more useful and effective .

This is the current situation in Italy. The politicians cant decide how to make a government and they continue to argue each other. So the State doesnt work because there isnt a ruling class.

If we were politicians, we would make promises in our campaign that we are able to maintain. We would like to labour against public debt, corruption, give a help to numerous families and sustain the education. We would reduce taxes of societies, so that they can have and invest more money: this idea is useful to improve economy. We would also improve the connection in Italy, building the TAV and the Strait Of Messina Bridge. We would mainly work for the economic upturn. In our opinion it's important that Italy remains in the European Union and in the Euro. The help of the Europe is important for our State, but Italy must pull through the crisis as soon as possible.

In our opinion we can't talk about the Third Republic yet. Now Italy is in a problematic situation of stalemate: we haven't a stable Government, our State doesn't work very well and we are in a deep crisis. This situation cannot be called the Third Republic, because it's not even a republic. When we'll have a stable government, the crisis will be out and the situation will be better, maybe we can have the Third Republic. But it must have new reforms, especially an electoral one, and be something completely different from now.